Victorian Trade Cards
French Printed Trade Card
One of a series of cards depicting post-boys and stamps of the world. This one illustrates a British post-boy, five British postage stamps and a 9¢ Canada Bill Stamp.
Under the Bill Stamp are the words "Pos. Angl. CANADA. It was obviously mistaken for a postage stamp.
Lithographed Trade Cards were first introduced at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876. By 1880, trade cards were the pre-eminent form of advertising. They were sent in the mail, inserted in the packaging of various products, and handed out on sidewalks. They were the collecting rage of the 80's. Their popularity peaked around 1890, and then almost completely faded by the early 1900's when other forms of advertising in colour became more cost effective.
HER MAJESTY'S MAILS THE POST-BOYS IN THE TIME OF RALPH ALLEN.-- Oct 1, 1864 THE STAMP COLLECTOR'S MAGAZINE
At this time the mails were carried on horseback in charge of post-boys. Some of these post-boys were sad rogues, who, besides taking advantage of confusion in the two posts, were accustomed to carry letters themselves concealed upon them, and for charges of course quite unorthodox. In old records of the Post-office, principally the Surveyor's Book, referring to country post-offices from the year 1735, there are long complaints from the Surveyor on this head. The following, 'exhibiting more malice than good grammar,' may be taken as specimen, and will suffice to show the way things were managed at that date"--- ' At this place (Salisbury) found the post-boys to have carried on vile practices in taking the bye-letters, delivering them in this cittye and taking back answers, especially the Andover riders. On the 15th found on Richard Kent, one of the Andover riders, 5 bye-letters, all for this cittye. Upon examining the fellow, he confessed he had made it a practice, and persisted to continue in it, saying he had no wages from his master. I took the fellow before the Magistrate, proved the facts, and he was committed, but pleading to have no money or friends, desired a punishment to be whipped, which accordingly he was to the purpose. Wrote the case to Andover and ordered the fellow to be dismissed, but no regard was had thereto, but the next day the same rider came post, ran about the cittye for letters and was insolent. Again he came post with two gentlemen, made it his business to take up letters; the fellow, however, instead of returning to Andover, gets two idle fellows and rides off with three horses, which was a return for his master not obeying my instructions.' Our shrewd surveyor thus amply got his revenge, and the Post-office and Mr. Allen suffer no more from the delinquencies of Richard Kent.--Scudamore's Notes.
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