Welcome to “The Postcard Album”

“The Postcard Album” (TPA), an international publication for collectors of old picture postcards (ppc’s), is around for over 20 years now. It is a hobby project, non-profit orientated, published when time and budget allows. (TPA issue 24 is available now! See TPA Magazine for details).

TPA covers various aspects of interest to ppc collectors. During the past years however, research on old, long gone postcard printers and publishers has become the major topic.

This quite specialised aspect of the postcard collecting hobby is probably not of interest to everyone, many never thought of much before. This is not surprising as serious information on the old postcard industry is generally not often found in ppc related publications and books. Reliable information on old ppc printers and publishers is often difficult to find as most records and archives in Germany and also other countries were lost due to various reasons.

Here now begins the work of myself together with other interested collectors from various countries. To reconstruct company histories, find data on their ppc production, identifying trademarks and other facts which are then published in TPA or on this web site = make available to interested persons.

Take a look now at some of the ppc research features, historical background, major German postcard printers/exporters, logo’s and trademarks, the magazine, postcard finds and trivia etc.

Please visit also the Can you help? page when time. Perhaps it is you who could help to solve a postcard related matter, eg identify a printer or publisher logo, have a card with a wanted name or imprint in your collection, identify languages / help with translation... or you probably know someone to contact. Your assistance is very much appreciated!

This hobby project will be updated regularly (as time permits; bigger updates usually quarterly, with additional smaller updates occasionally). Make sure to visit the Latest News page from time to time. For latest information on (new) site contents, actual research projects, the upcoming TPA magazine and more.

Helmfried Luers

TPA publisher/editor

PS: Hints for navigation: The name in red is not only the category caption but also the first page recommended to visit / A survey table with postcard publisher / printer trademark illustrations found under = Printer Logo’s / Real photo manufacturers and -publisher logo’s see under RP Trademarks / A list of major German postcard printers to be found under German Printers.