I too would be interested in hearing about any guides specifically for Greek
postcards, which I have been purchasing for some time now.
As a general rule, the major dating tool is related to postal law. In
approximately 1907 (specific dates vary by country), a major change took
place. Previously, the only thing that could appear on the "back" or
address side of the postcard was the address and the address ONLY. Thus
there was no vertical line on that side to separate the message from the
address. Thus, ANY card with that vertical line was printed after that
date. Previously, all messages had to be written on the front of the card
and space was always provided for that below the picture.
Now, that white space may often appear on PCs printed after 1907, because
the printers simply used the old photographic plate, with the white space at
the bottom, for their new cards. Often, that space seems to get smaller and
smaller, since there is no need for it. Or it is used for a caption.
But please note that you could have a postcard actually used and thus
containing a datable stamp and cancellation - where the card was printed
before 1907 but remained in the sellers stock or purchasers drawer - that
was used decades after the change.
There are entire web sites that are composed only of post cards being
auctioned, often at very high prices (i.e., not getting any bids). So it is
difficult to determine the realistic retail price for any card.
Many photographers made their bread and butter money on rushing out to
"events" and having postcards available the very next day. So here in
Middletown, NY, where the piano factory burned down (I don't remember the
date), the very next day there were post cards of that fire and the
firefighters battling it. Such cards (not just from my town) are very
collectible and sought after. The image was a very datable thing. And the
manufacturer was not going to reprint a card showing a fire from eight years
ago, since there would be little interest in "old news."
From Greece, there was an enormous series of cards
showing the destruction
of Salonica (of which I have quite a few). Likewise, scenes
from the
battlefields in the Balkans are also collectables. Early scenes of small
towns are also quite scarce, because there would have been relatively few
customers for them. Scenes of Athens, the Corinth canal, various sites on
Corfu, on the other hand are quite common.
By the way, early postcards from Cyprus are VERY scarce. I was told that
they were non-existent, but some do turn up.
Another area of collecting is cards of Turkey, especially those from areas
which were heavily Greek at the time that the cards were printed. Not
surprising, given the above comments, cards of Smyrna are particularly
desirable.
At some point perhaps a discussion of stereoscopic views would also be in
order, if there is any interest.
I wish that some enterprising person out there would create a listserv for
photographs of Greece (or perhaps the Aegean in its broadest reaches), where
post cards, photographs, stereoscopic views, cartes de visite, etc., could
be discussed.
Carl Berkowitz
Out-of-Print Books for Scholars
_____
From: cohsl-list-bounces(a)lists.fas.harvard.edu
[mailto:cohsl-list-bounces@lists.fas.harvard.edu] On Behalf Of KALAMOS BOOKS
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 2:53 AM
To: cohsl-list
Subject: [Cohsl-list] Dating Vintage Postcards of Greece
I have a few hundred old postcards of scenes in Greece that I am trying to
identify and list
Some are fairly easy to date (at least approximately) if postmarked, though
some publishers appear to have reprinted from their negatives for decades
(or there were retailers with LOTS of old stock on hand to sell to tourists
!)
For example I have a pair of folders each containing 12 small but very sharp
glossy photographs of Athens. Some of the street scenes have tramlines,
vintage buses and horse drawn carts that may date c.1930 However one scene
(a view of the Acropolis from somewhere near Ardittou) has also been used on
a
stamped and dated postcard mailed to Denmark in Dec 1949
Others may have people or vehicles that can be dated stylistically but
there are many with out any clear evidence to identify properly.
My question is - are there any "collectors" guides for Greek postcards,
or other "bibliographic" tools to help?
I do have a book of some of the early postcards from Eleftheroudakis
which is nice but does NOT give enough information on original dates.
Thank You / Evcharisto
June S
--
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : kalamosbooks(a)gmail.com
www.kalamosbooks.com
http://kalamosb.alibrisstore.com/
http://www.antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/kal