Here’s some interesting trivia. At the turn of the century it was considered the Golden Age of the Postcard and these are some of the most highly sought by collectors.
The decade between 1905–1915 – the Golden Age of Postcards – saw postcard collecting reach a zenith of staggering proportion. Literally millions of postcards were printed, imported, sold and mailed. Official U.S. Post Office figures for the year ending June 30, 1908 revealed that approximately seven hundred million postcards had been mailed in this country. By 1913 the total number mailed had increased to over nine hundred million, and, by this date, the craze was reportedly on the decline!
~http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/qc16510ess.htm
Initially one could only have the address on the reverse and there was just a little strip at the bottom of the front where someone would pen a little note- “Wish you were here etc.” With the invention of the portable camera by Kodak people would have their photos developed on Postcards. Again these “Real Photo” Cards are quite collectible.
There was a time in many major Metropolitan areas where there was 2–3 mailings a day and someone could literally send a postcard in the morning telling their friend that they would be arriving for dinner later that evening! In their new fangled horseless carriage of course.
Some of my favorites have always been the Halloween cards like these Winsch gems. Or how about this one Wow! Interestingly enough it was a major holiday among the old Edwardian folks. Probably ripe with opium tonics along with candy treats by the looks of some of the outrageous art on these old cards.