Collecting Real Photo Postcards - RPPC
Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010
by Teresa Davis
Times Treasures
In 1903, the Eastman Kodak company introduced their first postcard format camera. The camera was designed to use postcard-size film. This would allow the general public to be able to take photographs, get them printed on postcard backs and mail them out to family and friends. Postage to mail a postcard was a penny.
Eastman Kodak's first postcard camera was the No. 3A Folding Pocket Kodak. Over the next 40 years, they would produce many varieties of the postcard camera. They mainly used the code 3A as part of the model for the postcard type cameras. Sometimes model number for the postcard camera did not have the 3A. But, any camera with the code 3A in the model number was a postcard type camera. Eastman Kodak discontinued their last postcard camera (No. 3A Kodak Series III) in 1943.
Postcard cameras were very popular between 1903 and the 1930s. During that time, a very familiar hobby was to take and mail personal photographic postcards. United States postal regulations had become more lenient. This would allow people to create their own postcards and send them out.
The photo postcard cameras had a small thin door at the rear. This door could be lifted so that the photographer could write a comment on the negative. There was a metal scribe attached to the camera that was used to write these comments. It is rare to find a photo postcard with a comment because most people did not label their cards.
Photos for postcards were either processed by the Eastman Kodak for individuals or by the individual who took the pictures. Individuals with access to a dark room could purchase Ensco or Kodak paper that was made to print postcards on and create the postcards themselves.
Recognizing the popularity that photo postcards had become, Kodak produced and offered pre-printed photo postcards for retailers to mail out for direct mail advertising. These postcards were called Kodak Girl advertising postcards. The cards had photos of girls using the Kodak postcard camera. The front and back of these postcards was preprinted with advertising messages, names and addresses to make it look like they came directly from the retailer.
In order to know if a photo postcard is real or not, you can examine it with a magnifying glass. If it is not a real photo postcard, the photo will look grainy and you will be able to see the little dots that make up the picture. If it is a real phone postcard, the image will be solid without dots. Photo postcards are often abbreviated as "RPPC" for Real Photo Postcards.
Looking at the back of a photo postcard is one of the easiest ways to judge how old it is. Many of the backs of postcards have markings on the paper that it was printed on. The name of the paper that was used to make the postcard is sometimes printed within the stamp box. Depending on the symbols and words found in the stamp box, one can usually determine the approximate date of the photo postcard. There may even be a note on the back that will say something like "Printed on Kodak Paper". One can search the Internet for "Real Photo Postcards" or "RPPC" and find charts showing the dates that the symbols and words on the stamp box represent.
Collecting Real Photo Postcards is increasingly becoming more popular. People who are interested in the history of photography are especially showing interest. This means that photo postcards are being collected by those who appreciate the history and value of them. People involved in genealogy research are interested in photo postcards as well because they can help document evidence of people or events that existed between 1903 and 1930.
More information on this and other vintage and antique collectibles can be found at www.timestreasures.com
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