A brief fad
Novelty postcards were enormously popular in the early 1900s, when the postcard craze was at its height and manufacturers competed to offer something new. Leather cards were one of the most distinctive novelties. They were sold as souvenirs and greetings, often with a small design and a punchline or slogan, and many were sent through the mail. Some were trimmed with fringe or laced edges, and others were sold in sets.
The fad faded within a few years as the novelty wore off and as more practical paper cards dominated. Leather cards were awkward to handle in the mail, and many that survive were kept unused or mailed in envelopes.
How to recognize a leather postcard
It is easy: the card is leather, not paper. It feels soft and flexible, and often has a suede-like back. The design is usually printed or burned into the smooth side, sometimes with color added. Common themes include:
- Comic sayings and puns of the period.
- Animals, especially bears, dogs and owls.
- Place names: states, cities, resorts and colleges.
- Greetings for holidays and birthdays.
- Patriotic and political designs.
- Western themes, such as cowboys, horses and frontier scenes, which were popular souvenir motifs of the era.
What makes a leather postcard worth more
Design and subject. Unusual or well executed designs, scarce place names, and topical subjects such as early automobiles or particular events are more desirable than common comic slogans.
Condition. Leather dries, cracks, stains and loses color over time. Supple cards with bright, clear designs are worth considerably more than dried-out or faded ones. Leather is also vulnerable to mold in damp storage.
Mailed examples with clear postmarks. Because many leather cards were not mailed, a well-preserved mailed example with a legible postmark is of interest to some collectors.
Sets and originals. Cards that came in sets, or that still have original fringe or lacing, are more complete.
How leather cards are valued in a collection
Leather cards are usually a small part of a collection, and they rarely decide its value, but they do add to it. When I see them in a seller's photos, I count them separately from paper cards, since their values follow their own pattern.
Caring for leather postcards
Keep leather cards dry and away from heat and direct sunlight, which dry and crack the leather. Do not apply leather conditioners, oils or cleaners; they darken and stain old leather and reduce value. Store them flat or upright in a box, separated from paper cards if they show any sign of mold.
Other novelty materials
Leather was not the only unusual material. Collections from the same period sometimes include postcards of wood veneer, aluminum, celluloid, silk, and paper cards with attached feathers, glitter, real hair or fabric. All are collectible in their own right, and all should be left exactly as they are. Silk postcards are especially associated with World War I; see military postcards.
How leather postcards were made
Most leather cards were cut from thin hides, often deer or calf, to the standard postcard size. Designs were applied in several ways: printed in ink, stamped with heated dies, or burned in by hand with a heated stylus, a technique called pyrography that was a popular hobby at the time. Some cards were then hand-colored. The reverse usually carried a printed postcard back, though on some cards the address and message were simply written on the suede side.
Because pyrography could be done at home, some leather cards are one-of-a-kind homemade pieces. Others were mass-produced by novelty manufacturers and sold through stationers, resort shops and souvenir stands. Both kinds turn up in family collections.
Telling leather from imitation
A few cards imitate leather with embossed, brown-printed paper. Real leather is flexible, slightly thicker, and has a soft, fibrous back. Imitation leather cards are paper and behave like paper. Both can be collected, but genuine leather is the more distinctive novelty.
What I look for in leather cards
When I see leather cards in a seller's photos, I look at three things: how supple and intact the leather is, how clear and colorful the design remains, and whether the subject is unusual. A set of crisp, bright cards with uncommon designs adds more to a collection than a stack of dry, faded comic slogans, but both are counted.
Leather cards in good company
Leather postcards usually turn up in collections from the same years as the finest holiday and real photo cards, which makes them a useful clue. If you find leather cards in an album, it is a good sign that the album dates from the golden age of the postcard, and that other cards in it deserve a careful look too: real photographs, early holiday designs and undivided backs. Photograph the album pages around the leather cards as well as the cards themselves.
Questions people ask
When were leather postcards made?
Mostly in the first decade of the 1900s, during the height of the postcard craze.
Are leather postcards valuable?
Many are worth a few dollars to tens of dollars; scarce designs in excellent condition can be worth more.
Can you mail a leather postcard?
People did at the time, and some survive with postmarks, but many were kept unused or sent in envelopes.
How should I clean a leather postcard?
You should not. Leave it as it is.
Are homemade pyrography leather cards collectible?
Yes. One-of-a-kind homemade cards can be charming and are collected alongside manufactured ones, though values depend on design, condition and appeal rather than rarity alone.
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