A number of inquiries on various postcard, artists, printing etc related topics has arrived at my place by now. Some were answered by return, others need a bit longer. Some matters are not yet fully answered although some progress was made. This is not done all by me alone, collector friends assisted sometimes as well as visitors of this website. However, some inquiries are of difficult nature.

Now I thought it would be a good idea to use this page as a platform for your inquiries on postcard related topics. Although there is much information found on the internet, some specialised collectors willing to share their knowledge might know better. Your request should have something to do with postcards. Please no “Postcard Wanted” type inquiries. Information only. This is a free service, your listing can be removed on request at any time.

Address your inquiry to:

editor@tpa-project.info

Describe in your words what you would like to know, attach any scan(s) when available for illustration, and provide a valid e-mail address Thank you!

 Information on Wally Fialkowska

Any information on the artist / illustrator Wally Fialkowska (‘WF’) wanted. Her life, work and also the publishers who used her work on postcards. Appears to have concentrated on children topics only (?) The two types of signatures found so far are illustrated below.

editor@tpa-project.info

 Gesucht - Wanted

In den Jahren 1900 bis etwa 1930 sind sogenannte “Handgemalte Postkarten” serienmäßig in Fabrik- oder Heimarbeit für mehrere europäische Verlage hergestellt worden, vornehmlich mit der Hilfe von Schablonen. Gesucht werden Belege, Sammler - auch Sammlungen solcher Karten, jede Art Informationen um der Frage der Herstellungs- umstände näher zu kommen.

Jede Rückmeldung ist freundlich willkommen: Kurt Dröge diekmann-droege@t-online.de

Between about 1900 - 1930 so-called hand-painted postcards were on offer. Published by several European publishers, these cards were produced in series either by commercial colouring firms and/or by homeworkers. Although described usually being “hand-painted”, they were mostly stencil-coloured. I am looking for more samples, especially contact to collectors holding collections, any information on how - why - by whom these cards were made and distributed. All replies are welcome. Kurt Droege – e-mail: see above.

Typical stencil / hand-coloured postcard

This quite plain design was by published by a firm that hides behind the name “Torelli”

 Can anyone help?

I am trying to find information on the postcard artist Max Mueller. I have postcards from both Norway and Sweden painted by this man, and published by "J. Crassé. Berlin  SW 68" around 1902-05. One of his cards is well known because it shows the German training ship "Gneisenau" in a Norwegian fjord in the late 1890's. Thank you. Christopher John Harris     bikerchris@hotmail.com

“Scenes from Picturesque Norway: German training ship Gneisenau in Naeroefjord by Max Mueller, but here his signature removed.

 Ernst Weidemann, Hamburg?

In late 1897 or early 1898, a series of Gruss aus Puerto Rico cards were issued for use on the island. They were published by Ernst Weidemann of Hamburg. The earliest usage found to date is in September 1898 (at the tail end of the Spanish American War) but the cards have Spanish backs with the stamp box in the top center in compliance with Spanish postal laws and similar to the government issued postal cards of the period. At the end of the War, new cards by Weidemann were issued without the Gruss aus in the title, still with multiple views, an American back to comply with U.S. postal laws.