Rather than provide a single glossary of terms, the definitions
of postcard terms used on this website largely fall into the
following two categories: PRINTING
PROCESSES and POSTCARD
NOVELTIES. They include terms relevant to the history of
postcards from a Canadian perspective, and more specifically,
the Hamilton postcards in Ken Elder’s
collection. Some of these terms appear in the POSTCARD DESCRIPTION
line of the full description accompanying the enlarged image
of each postcard in the database. Examples may then be found
by searching the database: type or copy and paste the definition
term (such as collotype or photo-engraved)
or the specific term indicated at the end of the definition into
the KEYWORD search field (abbreviated forms may also work). A separate
sub-page has been devoted to the terms related to photographic
postcards, identified in the database by the term real
photo.
See definition under Printing
Processes > photographic.
Patriotic Postcards
According to expert Michael J. Smith in his The
Canadian Patriotic Postcard Checklist 1898-1928 (2003), in order to be considered "patriotic", some part of the card must contain one or more of the following features:
a Canadian serviceman, military theme or symbol;
a patriotic verse or slogan like "The Maple Leaf Forever," "Canada the Land We Love," etc.;
a prominently displayed Canadian symbol like the maple leaf, beaver, Mounties, etc.;
a Canadian or provincial flag, crest or shield;
a famous Canadian event such as the Quebec Tercentenary Celebrations in 1908;
a Prime Minister, Premier or other key Canadian leader or political figure;
a view or advertisement trumpeting a renowned Canadian site, building or institution.
This example
depicts the Canadian flag with a maple leaf and an inset
view of Gore Park. It was published by the Stedman Bros.
from Brantford between 1908 and 1915. To retrieve more
postcards in this category, SEARCH THE DATABASE by selecting
the term patriotic
postcards from the SUBJECT drop-down menu under P.
Local Comic Postcards
The term "local comic" is used by the publishers to identify cards printed in bright attractive colours by the offset process on white board. Subjects include juvenile Dutch studies and comic dogs. At the top is a large pennant on which the name of town is printed in large type, suited to the subjects, which include rural scenes with titles best adapted to them. The term would apply to most of the Bergman and Samson cards as well as the single sample card published by Stedman Brothers.
This example
was issued to coincide with Hamilton's Centennial celebrations
by the New York publishing company, Samson Bros. in 1913.
To retrieve more postcards in this category, SEARCH THE
DATABASE by selecting the term local
comic postcards from the SUBJECT
drop-down menu under the letter C.
