✚0113✚ German Postcard Feldpost photo WW1 WESTERN FRONT RUINS

Original German WW1 postcard, IN GOOD CONDITION

HISTORY OF THE WW1 MILITARY POSTCARDS:

WW1 German military postcards: photographic postcards were produced in different formats. First, the Printed Photographic Post Card (PPPC). These were produced in huge quantities by printing machines. The image was made up of small dots of different shades or colours and therefore did not have the sharpness and quality of the real photographic postcard. Second, was the Real Photographic Post Card (RPPC). During the war commercial companies and even some national newspapers, used mass production methods to turn out millions of quality real photographic postcards including sets and single cards featuring for example, military and naval leaders, royalty and battlefield scenes. Although the large commercial companies churned out tens of thousands of RPPC's during the conflict, it was mainly local high street studios and roving photographers who were responsible for the majority of 'personalised' ww1 real photographic cards that we see today. The images were printed directly from a negative onto photographic card with a 'postcard' back. Each image was printed by hand and usually in small numbers. For example, a portrait study of one man in uniform would merit perhaps half a dozen copies at most, which he would send to friends and relatives. Nevertheless, an image depicting a small group of men - perhaps from the same billet or unit - would obviously put a little more money into a photographers’ pocket. On the reverse of some Real Photographic Post Cards were details of the photographer or studio that produced the card and an address. But having these details printed on the reverse was an extra cost and not all studios did so. Alternatively, information was scratched on the negative before printing - with various degrees of success. Occasionally, an embossed mark was put on the card after hand printing, or the firm’s rubber stamp was applied. During the period 1914-1918, local photographers in German towns, villages and training camps took hundreds of thousands if not millions, of portraits of soldiers in uniform. The photographers were simply responding to the demand of these young men who wanted their picture taken before going to the front.