The Art of Irish Stamps, Envelopes & Postcards:
For me, the lure of collecting stamps, envelopes and postcards has always been the art and design first, the history second and the chronology third. I loved the essentials of the old style collector – an antique box filled with items of family history, a Victorian photo album, an Edwardian postcard album and a classic vintage printed stamp album – all scattered about an old writing bureau and bookcase. An old-fashioned man cave!
The thing that joins them all is art, design and craftsmanship and nothing epitomises a successful hobby more than the men (and women) that design accessories, embellish every day objects and otherwise enrich the lives of collectors.
Its a complicated subject and difficult to organise into divisions that are sensible to all. Some artists ‘got a start’ in their professional life by designing postcards and, now that they are famous, their early postcard works are highly sought after. Others did it the other way around and, after they became famous, collectors found their ‘doodles’ on envelopes and postcards they had sent to family, friends and colleagues.
For example, the rather plain-looking postcard below is
- A boring panoramic view of rooftops and church spires that looks like anywhere in Europe (so, its not valuable as a postcard)
- The back of the card has a ‘doodle’ in blue ink (not an attractive one, I might add) which makes it even less attractive to the average postcard collector.
- The sender neglected to add a stamp, so the addressee had to pay ‘double’ the postage upon receipt of the card – no stamp, means stamp collectors are not interested in it either!
- The postage due markings are common, so the card is not particularly valuable to the philatelist either.
- In short, its looks destined to be thrown into a dealer’s ‘bargain’ box!
- So, why did a collector pay £143,000 for it ???
- Answer below…
This page is dedicated to Irish envelope art, self-illustrated postcards and philatelic cover design. Some of the artists were professional; some were amateurs; all were enthusiasts of Irish art, culture, heritage and design. This page will expand over time – as and when I find items to add.
Irish Envelope Art:
- The Lady Bourke / Countess of Mayo Correspondence
- Hand-drawn envelopes
- 16th Oct 1858 – Countryside scene, showing farm and windmill
- 1858 – Lady with fan leaving her boudoir
- 1858 – Three children playing with paper boats in a water tub
- 1858 – Family viewing pictures at a gallery
- 1858 – Little girl with her pet dogs
- 1858 – Lady lighting an oil lamp
- 1858 – Countryside scene, showing farmer and hay cart
- Hand-drawn envelopes
- The ? Correspondence (Dublin & Galway, 1874)
- Hand-drawn envelopes – Alice in Wonderland (in the style of Sir John Tenniel)
- 7th Oct 1874 – The Cheshire Cat, a Court Page & a Parrot in Legal Robes
- 19th Oct 1874 – The Parrot in Legal Robes
- 27th Oct 1874 – The White Rabbit in Playing Card Tunic
- 6th Nov 1874 – The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
- 7th Nov 1874 – The Dodo
- 10th Nov 1874 – The Mad Hatter
- 13th Nov 1874 – Alice Riding Side-Saddle on a Stag
- No Date / Unused – The Mad Hatter Running
- Hand-drawn envelopes – Alice in Wonderland (in the style of Sir John Tenniel)
- Miscellaneous correspondences
- Hand-drawn envelopes
- 1854 – Drummer with children
- 1874 – Pig balancing a Penny Red on its nose
- Hand-drawn postcards
- 11th Aug 1894 – Unusually ornate message on an early postcard
- Hand-drawn envelopes
Irish Postcard Art & Design:
- The Court-Sized Postcard Era
- The Undivided Back Postcard Era
- Irish Topographical Postcards
- Event Postcards
- Irish Postcards: 1927 (Sept. 5) Capt. T. Tully & Lt. J. Medcalf Trans-Atlantic Flight
- Irish Postcards: Dundrum, Co Dublin & the Sisters of W.B. Yeats
- Modern Irish Postcards
Irish Postal Stationery Design:
Irish Cachet Art & Design:
Irish Philatelic Artists & Designers:
- Aitkinson, George
- Brandt, Muriel
- Broscas, H.
- Brown, Victor
- Carrick, T.
- Downey, L.
- Hogan, John
- King, Richard Joseph
- Lawrenson, Edward Louis
- O’Reilly, J.J.
- O’Ryan, Fergus
- O’Sullivan, Seán
- Shee, Sir Martin Archer
- Uhleman, Karl
- Vacek, W.
- Whelan, Leo
- Williams, Miss L.
Further Reading:
- Bodily, Ritchie, Jarvis C. & Hahn C., “British pictorial envelopes of the 19th Century” Collectors Club Of Chicago (1984)