This postcard with Fourth of July greetings pictures a young dressed-up patriot, fireworks and the words “1776” and “This is a day of memory, ’Tis Freedom’s Jubilee!” It was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons as part of the Independence Day series, 1910-1914.

In 1866, Raphael Tuck and his wife Ernestine opened a shop in London to sell pictures and frames. Soon they began to sell printed graphic art, including lithographs, reproductions of famous and popular art, Victorian greeting cards and eventually postcards. Their first Christmas greeting card was made in 1871. While Tuck had some training in graphic art, he was not an artist. But he did have a flare for choosing popular commercial art and was very successful. Most of the work was printed in Bavaria, Germany, Saxony and Prussia.

By 1881, Raphael Tuck had retired and his sons were expanding the business. Their first postcard set was a group of 12 views of London in 1899. Then the company started to make more series of postcards in various themes from picturesque views and attractions, works of artists, animals, exotic people, “Little Artists,” “Amateur Gardening,” “Society Pets,” “The Humor of Life” and more. They ran postcard competitions with prize money for the largest collections of their cards sent through the mail, which turned out to be a very effective marketing technique. The first winner, in 1900, submitted more than 20,000 cards. Their competitions spurred the sending—and the collecting—of postcards.

Raphael Tuck died in 1900, his sons and then his grandsons ran the business until 1959. Then it joined with two other companies to form the British Printing Corporation. But an art connoisseur of the day said art galleries could only reach a few people while Mr. Tuck’s postcards went to millions at every level of society.

Early Tuck cards are marked with a small artist’s palette and easel with the initials RTS. Lots of collectors are interested in old postcards and cards published by Tuck and Sons are especially desirable. The Tuck postcard pictured here sold for $15 in an online shop.

 

Have a safe and happy Independence Day!