Figure 1.--This is an example of a Germany post card printed with an English greeting and an English back. The children, especially the boy, wears identifible German-syled clothing. The card was printed in Saxony. Put your cursor on the image to see the back.

HBC does not yet have details about the U.S. postcard industry. Many early cards were apparently imported from Germany. We do not know how successful French nd English printers were, both countris had large post card industries. The German cards seem to have bter color prining technology. Here Germany's advanced chemical industry gave the entrpeneurs in many industrues a considerable advantage. The German cards are relatively easy to identify because they were labeled "Printed in Saxony" or some other German state. Some said "Printed" or "Mde" in Germany". As far as we can tell, excepted for prining English greetings and Ennglish backs, the German companies made not effort to create images especially designed for the American market. They seen to have just used cards they created for the German market. The scenes are recognizably German as is the clothing the children are depicted wearing. This does not seem to have affected their popularity on the Ameican market. German imports were ended sudenly with the outbreak of Woeld War I. The BritishRoyal Navy blockade meant that Getmany could no longer export.

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Created: 5:49 PM 12/27/2008
Last updated: 5:49 PM 12/27/2008