Linen Postcards: Images of the American Dream

by Mark Werther, Lorenzo Mott

The first compendium on Linen Postcards manufactured in the United States from 1931 through 1959. The cards were printed on a paper stock with texture resembling linen cloth. Their subjects were all rendered into an artistic form that has not been duplicated on such a large scale since. More than 150,000 distinct images produced were a major form of display and advertising of the scenes, businesses and activities of America. The first 50 pages detail the history and development of the cards including manufacturers' information along with forwards by the authors and Don Preziosi, well-known Linen expert. This section also includes an interview with Lawrence Tichnor, retired sales manager of Colourpicture, the third largest producer of Linens. In addition, there are sections discussing the acquisition of Linens, condition of cards, evaluation and care. The remaining pages are divided into major Linen categories and show over 500 high quality color reproductions. Invaluable information for both the beginner and experienced collector. Included with the book is a limited edition Linen Greetings from the USA designed exclusively for the book. More

151 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2002

Reviews

[Steven Shook · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books published concerning postcards. Werther and Lorenzo present a compact history of the development of the linen postcard industry. They also overview several of the major manufacturers of linen postcards.

A significant portion of the book is dedicated to examples of high quality linen postcards produced between the 1930s and 195os; these postcards are presented by topical area.

As a longtime postcard collector, I believe that Werther and Lorenzo actually affected market prices for many of the postcards presented in the book. Prior to publication, many of the linen postcards presented in their book could be purchased at a relatively modest price. Today, however, several of of the postcards shown in the book sell for well over $100. I believe this speaks to the high quality of presentation that Werther and Lorenzo dedicated to their book, perhaps reigniting postcard collecting focused on linen postcards.