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Glossary of Postcard Terms (partial listing)

Appliqué - A term used to describe a postcard which has some form of cloth, metal or other embellishment attached to it.
Art Deco - Artistic style of the 1920s which is characterized by its symmetrical designs and straight lines.
Art Nouveau - Artistic style of the turn of the century which is characterized by flowing lines and flowery symbols.
Bas Relief- Postcards with a heavily raised surface, giving a papier-mâché appearance.
Divided Back - Postcards with a back divided into two sections - one for the message and the other for the address.  U. S. cards were first divided in 1907.
Early - A term loosely used to describe any card issued before the Divided Back were introduced in 1907.
Embossed - Postcards with a raised surface.
Hold-to-Light - Postcards often of a night time scene with cut out areas to show the light. Also referred to as "HTL" postcards.
Kaleidoscopes - Postcards with a rotating wheel that reveals a myriad of colors when turned.
Novelty - Any postcard which deviates in any way from the norm.  These are typically cards which do something, have articles attached to them, or are printed in an unusual size or on strange materials. An example is cards made of leather.
Oilette - A trade name used by Raphael Tuck to describe postcards reproduced from original paintings.
Real Photo -Term used to describe postcards produced by a photographic process using a camera and photographic paper.  Real photo post cards are highly desirable because many are one of a kind.  Topographical - A term used to describe postcards showing street scenes and general views.
Undivided Back - Postcards made until 1907 without a dividing line on the back to separate the message from the address. Only the address was permitted on the back of the card.  Messages were to be written on the face of the card.