17.00 USD
Though it is certainly a departure from our usual sort of card (mostly we deal in glamorous gals of the 1890s-1930s), we do pick up odd historical images now and then and WWI occupies an important place in our picture postcard realm, as its beginning in 1914, pretty much marked the end of the great picture postcard boom of the previous decade. Germany, between 1900 and 1914, was unquestionably the industrial (and in many ways the creative) hub of the international postcard industry. War severed many of the commercial bonds between Germany, much of Europe and the Americas, and the postcard, after 1918 at war's end, never quite regained its former stature culturally.
This image is a little spooky, the way these young men are gathered behind this artillery round. There's a sense of forced good humor, and the eyes on the fellows at the back are just plain odd :) It looks as though the camera lens was dirty, for one thing, but of course shooting in natural light in 1916 was tricky anyway and we wonder if it was the photographer who went back and touched up a few details in the print.
From their headgear, this looks to have been a gathering of both officers and enlisted men. See the way two of the soldiers are balancing two boots, at an angle, against the shell's casing? The boot soles are the heavily hob-nailed type produced to give traction in the slippery muck of the trenches. Though hobnails were in use in ancient times, we've read that the modern work boot owes a lot to improvements made in footwear for soldiers during WWI. This RPPC was probably made very near the front lines in one of the worst wars fought in modern times.
Probably a one of a kind item. Some wear to edges and corners. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully insured, first class, shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!