In some cases precise dating of the card is given by the subject, or inscription, on the card.

Example 1 - The Fire at Gaddesden Place - 1905

This artwork picture of the fire on 1st February 1905 was posted on the morning of the 6th. See Great Gaddesden for more details including another picture.

Example 2 - The St Albans Pageant - 1907

Rapheal Tuck "Oilette" card

The St Albans  Pageant in 1907 was a major affair with scenes from the history of the city. A series of postcards was issued to celebrate it. See The St Albans Pageant of 1907

The Lord Mayor's visit to St Albans Pageant, July 18th, 1907

Example 3 - Bishops Stortford Fire - 1907

Watford Engraving Co

This card, produced by the Watford Engraving Co, is clearly an artists impression of the fire which gutted the Anchor Maltings at Bishops Stortford on December 2nd 1907. It should be noted that the address side "for inland use only" suggests an earlier date - which shows why datings based on the address side style can only be approximate. In 1911 they published a similar style card of the factory fire on Bernards Heath, St Albans - see Wiles & Lewis's Tallow Works.

Example 4 - The Cuffley Zeppelin - 1916

Obviously event cards needed to be on the market as quickly as possible, and the Hutson  picture of the zeppelin which crashed in flames at Cuffley on 3rd September, 1916, was drawn by an eye-witness, published and posted within three days.

Example 5 - Royston Church - 1907

Robert H Clark's series

This is an interesting multi-view card which leaves a large space on the picture side for the message and the divided back has an "inland postage only" warning. These give the impression of an early date - but the date for the Rev J Harrison, vicar from 1877-1907, shows that it cannot have been published before 1907.

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

Page updated October 2005