First World War Jewish Welfare Board Troopship Picture Postcards (and Others)
These picture postcards were issued
by the Jewish Welfare Board for use by returning
United States troops after the end
of the First World War. They were handed
out on the troopships,
and a soldier or sailor
could send an "arrived" message to their loved ones.
While on the ship or still at the dock, the
military men were officially "overseas", so the
cards could be sent without postage. Once the
soldier or sailor entered the US, the cards
required postage.
The Jewish Welfare Board was not the only welfare organization to provide free safe-arrival cards for returning WWI troops, but the JWB cards seem to be unique, in that they depict the actual troopships used to return the men from Europe. The images were derived from several sources (some pre-war), and the Copyright messages reflect that. Perhaps the JWB received special treatment regarding royalty payments, since this use was "for the troops".
These web pages are dedicated to providing information about these picture postcards, and other troopship cards. In addition there is information about the WW I troopships themselves. There are some troopship images on my Google Photos account, some of which are JWB cards.