23 September, 2007

Postcard 2: Embossed Postcard

Yesterday I asked my fellow YahooGroups deltiologists for some help with the problems I encountered while sorting out my recent purchase of old postcards. Some gladly helped, and then I decided to be a "postcard detective" (if you may call it) and try to date them myself and to provide more information about the postcards.
The first postcard I chose is the embossed postcard.
Per Wikipedia, Embossed postcards have designs slightly raised above the card's surface. Heavily embossed postcards have almost a papier-mache style that stands greatly above the surface. Embossed postcards, dating from the late 19th century, have a papier mache texture, and typically have designs within the card that are raised, making them quite delicate and often elaborate.



The postcard shows a vase with blue flowers (which I still couldn't identify) and a house at the background. I noticed that all the flowers are painted (?) blue.

Above is the back part of the card. One can see that it has a divided back (thus it cannot be dated as pre-1907). One fellow deltiologist gave the age of the card as pre-1920s.

Translation of dedication: (Anyone who can also help with the translation?)
January 17, 1914

I wish, (cannot decipher name) your greatness, your glory, your happiness.

Forever Yours,
Erin Ricafort

Sad to say, the recipient's name was written over, thus making it unreadable! Makes me wonder who Erin Ricafort is to the life of the recipient! haha

It's also weird that one had chosen to use the Spanish language during this time. If the year is correct, 1914, the Spaniards were long gone, and the Philippines is now under the American Regime, thus most Filipinos would be able to speak English. But then again, the recipient could have come from a rich Mestizo family where the language is still Spanish.


I also checked if the recipient's address of Sta. Rita, Pampanga was in existence in 1914. And indeed it was! I found this on the net: "The onset of the Taft administration (Governor William Howard Taft) and the governor Joven in Pampanga caused the Sta. Rita town to be merged with Bacolor. The setback was however temporary and short-lived for the town’s energetic son Don Basilio Ocampo, and Don Magno Gosioco, then the incumbent mayor succeeded in their crusade to separate Sta. Rita from Bacolor."

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So the card can really be dated 1914 since its divided back dates the card post-1907.

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