In 2013, Gary Clark, of PhotoTree.com, had a very busy year. He seemed to be on a one-man mission to provide every detail a genealogist will need to identify, date, and restore old photographs of virtually every type and in a way to make the process as easy as possible. This was a lot of ground to cover, but Gary seemed well on his way. Following are two other earlier books and three laminated guides he produced, as follows:
- The Photo Restoration KwikGuide™ – A Step‐by‐Step Guide for Repairing Photographs with Photoshop Elements®
- 19th Century Card Photos KwikGuide: A Step-by-Step Guide to Identifying and Dating Cartes de Visite and Cabinet Cards
- KwikTips from PhotoTree.com, which include:
Following is a review that Ancdy Pomeroy wrote in 2013:
Gary has another easy to follow guide, Real Photo Postcards KwikGuide: A Guide to Identifying and Dating Real Photo Postcards of the 20th Century. This new guide looks into the rise and fall of the real photo postcard. Inside the reader will discover two main elements to helping them identify and date these cards. These postcards can be examined in terms of the structure and style of the card itself, as well as applying all the normal techniques for dating and identifying photographs. Here are just some of the items the reader will learn to examine for clues:
- Address format
- Stamp boxes and artwork
- Regular and commemorative stamps
- Image styles and sizes
- Manufacturing clues
- and so much more…
Flipping through the pages, the first thing I noticed was how many clear and easy to read samples there are. I don’t think there is a page in the guide that doesn’t have a picture, some have many images. I feel like running out and buy old photo postcards of just anyone, so I can test what I have learned. Making this book even better, it offers my four favorite things in a guidebook:
- Easy to read
- Easy to follow and adapt
- Clear examples and images
- Inexpensive
About the Author
Gary Clark is a professional photographer, restorer, and genealogist who has merged these skills with his passion for collecting photographs. His 30 years of experience in digital imaging brings a unique and thorough understanding of photograph problems and how to solve them. Clark introduced PhotoTree.com to genealogists and collectors in 2000, and he continually expands the free information with a gallery of over 1,000 images, weekly case studies, and historical information about 19th century photographs.
This guide gives a lot of bang for your buck. Order Real Photo Postcards KwikGuide: A Guide to Identifying and Dating Real Photo Postcards of the 20th Century from Family Roots Publishing for only $9.75 a copy.
Contents
Introduction
Identifying People in Postcards
Introduction to Real Photo Postcards
Definition of Real Photo Postcards (RPPC)
Chapter 1 ~ Government Postcards
First U.S. Postal Postcards: 1873
Government Monopoly Until 1898
Chapter 2 ~ Private Mailing Cards
Private Mailing Cards – 1898
Chapter 3 ~ The Postcard Rage
New Postcard Name – 1902
RFD – Rural Free Delivery – 1902
Chapter 4 ~ The Modern Postcard
Divided Back: 1907 – A Lasting Change
Slow Transition to Messages on the Back
The Golden Era Begins
Chapter 5 ~ Stamp Boxes and Stamps
Clues From Postcard Manufacturers
Photographic Paper Changes
Stamp Box Gallery
U.S. Postal Stamps
Chapter 6 ~ Image Styles and sizes
Picture Masks
Use of Masks on Postcards
Postcard Image Sizes
Chapter 7 ~ Fashion and Style
20th Century Fashion Influence
Chapter 8 ~ Cars, Farms, and Gatherings
Postcards of America
Chapter 9 ~ The Demise of RPPCs
Pressures on Real Photo Cards
Appendix A ~ Early Kodak Cameras
Appendix B ~ Common Film Sizes
Appendix C ~ Postcard and Camera Influence
A Look at the Early 20th Century
Appendix D ~ Glossary
Notes
Index
