New Year's Day Postcards

When the picture postcard fad hit America nearly a century ago, publishers found a ready market for special greeting cards for every holiday including New Year's. The public eagerly purchased seasonal postcards to exchange with relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers. They were also lovingly saved in keepsake albums.
New Year's Day items were especially attractive because of their superior artistic designs and the fascinating array of seasonal features found on them. Nearly every theme and topic associated with New Year throughout the centuries found its way onto the different postcards crafted by countless artists in the earliest years of the century which would be from 1900 to about 1916. Both domestic and imported cards featured grandfather clocks, watches, father time and lovely women and radiant angels.

Though they often relied on traditional symbols and motifs, American illustrators did drawings in a more modern style than did their counterparts in Europe. Holiday revelers in autos were heavily favored by International Art Pub. Co. (New York City). Funny scenes of tipsy gentlemen and other portrayals of holiday celebrating are characteristic of American made New Year's Day postcards. Artists such as Ellen Clapsaddle, Frances Brundage, and H. B. Griggs ("HBG") have always commanded a great amount of attention from collectors.

So intense was the competition that many companies resorted to adding extra attractions to their cards. Nearly all quality cards automatically came embossed and many were embellished with gelatin coatings, gold and silver etchings, and gold backgrounds. Tinsel was added and edges scalloped. Also marketed were blank check postcards in which the recipient received a "check" good for "a million joys in the coming year," or something similarly whimsical attachment of every kind were applied. The list includes die-cuts of flowers, horseshoes, doves and little notes in tiny envelopes. A number of "magic light" varieties such as hold-to lights and transparencies enjoyed brisk sales.

Quite often, especially after 1910, many publishers and distributors took old stocks of other postcard topics including scenes of animals, children and lovely ladies then overprinted them with all sorts of New Year's greetings.
Among foreign publishers, none was more prolific or produced better cards than Raphael Tuck & Sons. The London firm exported huge numbers of holiday postcards to this country. Their artists favored charming children, beautiful women and Father Time. However, floral designs were also used extensively.

The modern day folded greeting card and envelope came into prominence in the 1920s and has remained the standard ever since. Very little modern activity has ever occurred in regard to New Year's Day postcards.
Today's collectors are very lucky in that a vast amount of New Year's Day postcards is still available. Prices, except for about 10% of the very best and most beautiful cards tend to be a bit lower than those for other holidays. It is still possible to put together a very good collection of the New Year holiday.