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The World's Columbian Exposition POSTAL CARDS |
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The cards released for sale at the World's Columbian Exposition under a concession to Charles Goldsmith are considered, according to Gordon Bleuler, among the first souvenir postal cards sold in the United States of America. This journalist states that the advent of these souvenir cards at the Chicago World's Fair and their acceptance by the public created a revolution in communications within a relatively few years. |
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| The Columbian Exposition postal cards were issued on U.S. Government postal card stock: Scott Nos. UX-10 and UX-14. Top: 1-cent Grant Postal Stationery. | ||
| GOLDSMITH "OFFICIAL" and "PRE-OFFICIAL" COLUMBIAN CARDS | ||
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For the Columbian Exposition Charles Goldsmith initially introduced four design of his card. They were lithographed in multicolor on white coated stock of the 1-cent Grant postal card. |
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| Many authors state that the Goldsmith cards are highly prized by collectors for their exceptional beauty and high quality of workmanship. | ||
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Charles Goldsmith´s advertising: |
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The cards were sold through vending machines at the price of two for a nickel. |
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| The first set of four Goldsmith cards were considered as "pre-official" because they did not contain the seal of the WCE and the signture of the officers like the rest of the sets issued in the Fair ("official"). | ||
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Seal of the WCE: Click for enlarge. |
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| KOEHLER COLUMBIAN CARDS ("UNOFFICIAL") | ||
| The unofficial cards are those that have not the concession to sale on the Fairgrounds. But these unofficial cards circulated and were sold in the city of the Chicago and then taken to the Fair where they were placed in the mail. For this reason exist Koehler and other publishers card with the World's Fair Station cancellations. | ||
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According to Bleuler and Doolin the design fot the Koehler "Unofficial" Columbian Exposition cards (set of twelve cards) were patented in late 1892 by Girsch and Roehsler Lithograph Co. They were designed, engraved, and printed in black. The sale and distribution were concentrated in the New York area. The Koehler cards are much more scarce than the Goldsmith cards. |
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| Top: Koehler card with the portrait of Christopher Columbus, the Santa Maria -in scrolls at left- and a view of a WCE building. | ||
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| PUCK CARDS | ||
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| The Columbian cards distributed by Puck Magazine (a political satire journal with own pavilion at the Fair) was published by Keppler an Schwarzmann. The were printed in multicolor on 1-cent Scott with the figure of PUCK (top). | ||
| References | ||
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