Images of Advertisements from Covers, Stamps, and Postcards
While I collect postal history with cancellations, stamps, and routing information, I also enjoy the images on the covers and cards. This form of advertisement is as old as letter-writing itself. If the recipient can not, or does not, read the contents, they still may be impressed by the image on the envelope or card.
Commercial printing companies could offer their customers many standard "cuts" for advertisements around the turn of the last century. I find these images to be fascinating. Some covers were printed in full color, and are highly valued by collectors.
The Postal Service even got into the act, by printing images and slogans around the borders (called selvage) of the stamp sheets.
Take a look at some interesting examples!
- A "Classical" styled ad for cement [32k JPG].
- A Very Early Christmas Card Ad [37k GIF].
- A Logo Using an Acorn [21k JPG].
- A Very Early Advertising Cover [27k JPG].
- An Ad for a Toolkit that Does (Nearly) Everything [70k GIF].
- Mr. Zip [19k GIF], from the selvage of stamps issued by the U.S. in the 1970's
- Another Mr. Zip [34k GIF]
- Tea Advertisement [20k JPG]
- Fencing Company Logo [19k JPG]
- Anvil-Shaped Hardware Company Logo [6k GIF]
- Farm Equipment Image [8k GIF]
- Ford Model T Illustration [7k GIF]
- Bear Image Advertisement [19k JPG]
- Fancy Return Address Label [16k JPG]
- Pharmacy Return Address Label [20k JPG]
- Furnace Illustration [35k JPG]
- Colorful Advertisement for Red Turkey Flour [16k JPG]
- Top-Shaped Advertisement for Flour [16k JPG]
- Colorful Paint Advertisement [41k JPG]
- Very Early Teddy Bear Postcard [31k JPG]
- Advertisement for Flexible Steel Hose [10k GIF]
- Logo for Electric Equipment Company [8k GIF]
- Advertisement for L. C. Smith Typewriters [29k GIF]
- Advertisement for Standard Oil of New York (SOCONY) [12k GIF]
- Image of a Shoe from an Advertising Cover [10k GIF]
- Cornercard of the B & O Railroad [10k GIF]
- Cornercard of a Boiler Factory [30k GIF]
- Cornercard of a Plow Company [7k GIF]
- Intriguing Eye Logo [16k JPG]
- Early Advertising Logo with Numbers [14k GIF]
- Image of a Shovel [10k GIF]
- Fancy Logo for Electric Equipment Company [4k GIF]
- Logo with Flax [6k GIF]
- Cover with a Plethora of Rubber Stamps [14k GIF]
- Owl and Moon from Company Logo [16k GIF]
- Ad Image of Scrubine Soap [28k JPG]
While we're on the subject of pictures, images, paper
collectables, postcards, etc., here are some links for
interesting historical pictures on the web.
- The Panama-California Exhibition held in San Diego, California in 1915.
- Some San Diego Amusement Park History from the "good old days".
- Coney Island History
- California Museum of Photography at my old alma mater, U.C. Riverside.
More Links
Back to Stamps and Postal History
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