Quite some publishers worldwide tried to give their own products a special design to make it different from others on the market. Although they had to keep postal regulations and restrictions in mind.
I understand the panorama view found on address side to be that of Sellersville. It might be not a unique idea, I have seen similar designs on cards from New York City, but this sample from Pennsylvania is much better, makes the card worth collecting in my opinion.
The picture side shows the Residence of Wm. H. Becker, South Main Street, Sellersville, PA. An imprint reads: ‘Photo by Zeigler, Souderton’ and ‘Post Cards Published by C.M. Berkemeyer, Sellersville’.
Algeria, Northern Africa, people at a drinking water fountain. The address side of this card shows an untypical layout for the time, despite all the strict regulation of the postal services. This collotype printed views was mailed to London in late April 1904. Are there any other similar designs (also from other countries) around?
Publisher imprint reads: Arnold Vollenweider, Photograveur, Alger. From German-speaking country? Nice view!
Local advertising imprint
Tamil Beauty No. 12 published by Andrée, Ceylon. Duotone collotype printed. The later imprint makes this card much more interesting.
Local shop owner A. Arnolda invites the members of the American Fleet to visit his shop (to spend money).
Mysterious Meaning:
A plain card on heavy board. British origin, not p/u. I have absolutely no idea what it is about. Caption reads: ‘No Flies Enter a Closed Mouth’. A couple of tools, a crest with a cat and a cheeky mouse plus at upper right position several cryptic signs. Somebody pencilled a translation (in Spanish?) onto the card. The three symbols at top which look similar to the ones inside crest were also added later. Any information most welcome!
Mysterious ‘Shorthand’ Publisher(s):
A nicely done view from a place somewhere in the Mediterranean (I guess). Excellent chromolitho printed. Mailed in Germany in Nov. 1903. No publisher or printer information except the shorthand-type imprint on address side. The problem: back then there were several different shorthand versions around.
Any help with “translation” much appreciated!
Now it becomes odd. A most unusual card, the background unknown. It reads: “I will gladly pay a second time to have the fellows kick you in the face”. A card with divided back (Germany post-1905), not p/u and ‘Postcard’ in 3 languages. Card no. 143. Chromolitho. Along the short side on back another diff. shorthand imprint. Hope it’s shown correctly.
More postcards with shorthand-type imprints are known.
Topsy-turvy?
Which is the address, which is the picture side??
Another most unusual design (discovered by Chris Ratcliffe). The embossed illustration is the address side, the fence turned into writing lines. The typical picture side shows only a “Gruss aus” imprint. The writer appears to had been irritated a little bit, arranged the message along the sides. P/u in April 1902 in the city of Chemnitz, Saxony. No publisher mentioned, only the number ‘137’.
