Postcards

Postcard(Initially open letter) - special type of postal cards for the open letter without an envelope on the material with high rigidity (stiff paper, Thin cardboard plastic).  
On the obverse side of the card there is any full-scale (occupying the whole area) image and its inverse part is designed for writing messages and address of the recipient and sender as well as for sticking a postage stamp. Often the stamp is printed directly on the postcard and postage is included in the price at the last sale. The postcard can be and not post. In this case, there is no postmark, and under it and the address is a special place, it's just a card from heavy paper or cardboard the size of an ordinary letter. Usually cards are used for a birthday or other memorable dates.

Types of cards:

• art
• reproduction
• original
• documentary (Photo Cards)

Promotional Postcard- Variety of print advertising, odnolistovoe printing product set format, one side of which is the figure, reproduction or photo with a slogan or just showing a brand, and others can be used for letters or text ad company.

History
The first postal card issued in Austria-Hungary. October 1, 1869 in the post-treatment of the country appeared "Correspondence Card" with printed brand advantage in two Kreutzer. [1] During the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 years in the warring armies of France and Germany also the idea to provide the card illustrations. Some of the soldiers were sent to accompany relatives postcards pictures. This idea was quickly accepted by traders. In the French version of the first illustrated postcard (postcard) was released bookseller Leon Benardo from Brittany in German - bookseller A. Schwartz from Oldenburg.
Cards, issued by the postal authorities, usually are printed Indicia and are called marked postcards, on the art unmarked postcards space for his label.
Starting proved successful and the idea of cards quickly spread elsewhere. In 1871 they began to publish the postal authorities of England, Switzerland Luxembourg Belgium Denmark Netherlands 1872 - Sweden Norway Ceylon 1873 - France Spain Romania Serbia Chile 1874 - Italy. [1] In Russia postcard was published in 1872, The first Soviet postcards dated November 1917. In 1878 at the Universal Postal Congress in Paris, an international standard postcard: 9 x 14 cm, which was amended in 1925 to another - 10 5 x 14 8 cm Initially, the downside was intended to address (a special place for the letter is not provided) since 1904, it left half reserved for short messages.
An example of sticking to the standard mark on the right side of unmarked postcards last post (the USSR, the end of 1960). Place a vertical mark standard issue is printed on the artistic side of the card.

Collecting cards is Deltiology.