Why the back changed
When privately printed postcards were first allowed to travel at the low postcard rate in the United States, postal rules reserved the entire address side for the address. Anything else, including a personal message, had to go on the front, around or across the picture. Publishers left white space on the front for this, and senders squeezed notes into skies and margins.
On March 1, 1907, the rules changed to allow messages on the left half of the address side. Publishers began printing a dividing line down the middle of the back, and the divided back was born. It made postcards far more practical, and the postcard craze grew even faster.
The sequence of backs
| Back style | What it looks like | Approximate period |
|---|---|---|
| Private Mailing Card | Undivided, with the words "Private Mailing Card" and often a reference to the Act of Congress of May 19, 1898 | 1898 to 1901 |
| Post Card, undivided | Undivided, with "Post Card" and often a note that the side is for the address only | About 1901 to early 1907 |
| Divided back | A vertical line separating message and address | March 1907 onward |
Some cards printed before the change were used after it, so you will find undivided-back cards with postmarks from 1907 and 1908, sometimes with messages crammed onto the back anyway.
What else the back tells you
Once you know which side of 1907 a card falls on, the back offers more clues:
- "Printed in Germany" or "Made in Saxony" suggests printing before about 1915. See German-printed postcards.
- A paper maker's name in the stamp box marks a real photo postcard. See stamp box dating.
- A publisher's name and series number can date a card closely using specialist references.
- The postmark gives the latest possible date.
- The stamp: the postcard rate was one cent for most of the period, rising to two cents from late 1917 to mid-1919.
Combining the back with the front
For divided-back cards, the front narrows the date further:
- A picture running to the edges with rich lithographed color: usually about 1907 to 1915.
- A white border around the picture: usually about 1915 to 1930.
- A textured, linen-like surface: about 1930 to the early 1950s. See linen postcards.
- A glossy photographic finish: about 1939 onward, mostly 1950s and later. See chrome postcards.
The full picture is in the dating guide.
Are undivided back postcards more valuable?
Not automatically, but they are earlier, and earlier cards are generally scarcer. Undivided-back cards from before 1907 with interesting subjects, such as early exposition souvenirs, small-town views and unusual designs, can be quite collectible. A common undivided-back view of a famous landmark is still a common card. The writing on the front of an undivided-back card is expected and is not considered damage, because it was required at the time.
Other countries
Other countries changed their rules at different times. Britain allowed divided backs in 1902, several years before the United States, and other countries followed at various dates. If your collection includes foreign cards, the divided back may date them differently from American cards.
How to read a back in thirty seconds
Pick up a card and work through it in this order:
- Is there a dividing line? No line means before March 1907, or a card printed then and mailed a little later.
- What does the heading say? "Private Mailing Card" points to about 1898 to 1901. "Post Card" with an undivided back points to about 1901 to 1907.
- Where was it printed? A German or Saxon printing line suggests before about 1915.
- Is there a paper maker's name in the stamp box? That makes it a real photo postcard, dated by the mark.
- What does the postmark say? That is the latest the card could have been made.
With those five answers you can place most American postcards within a few years, before you have even looked at the picture.
Divided backs on real photo postcards
Real photo postcard paper followed the same rules, so real photos from before 1907 have undivided backs, and later ones are divided. Because real photo paper was printed by the paper makers, the stamp box design gives a second, independent clue. When the back layout and the stamp box mark agree, you can be confident about the era.
Why collectors care about the earliest backs
Cards from the private mailing card and undivided back years come from the very beginning of the American picture postcard. They show what towns looked like at the turn of the century, often before automobiles, and many were made in smaller numbers than the flood of cards that followed 1907. Collectors of early cards, expositions and small-town views pay attention to them, and an album that includes a good run of undivided backs is a sign of a collection that reaches back to the start of the hobby.
Messages on the front
On undivided-back cards, look at where the message was written. Many senders wrote across the sky or in a white margin left for the purpose. Some wrote so much that the picture is hard to see. Collectors accept front writing on these cards as part of their history, though a card with a clear, uncluttered picture is generally more appealing than one covered in ink.
Questions people ask
When did divided back postcards start?
In the United States, March 1, 1907.
What is a divided back postcard?
A postcard whose address side is split by a vertical line, with the message on the left and the address on the right.
Why is there writing on the front of my old postcard?
If the back is undivided, writing on the front was required. It is normal for those cards.
What is the divided back era?
Collectors often call about 1907 to 1915 the divided back era, the height of the postcard craze, before white borders became common.
Sources and further reading
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