Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-08
PICTURE POST CARDS
What to Do When a COlleC-
ton Keeps Growing.
EVEN KINGS USE THEM
OTHER FORMS OF THE COLLECT
ING MANIA
Has Extended to Match Box and
Stamps-Name and Menu
Cards.
EVEN KINGS USE THEM

The fad for collecting picture post cards
is still running riot in the land, and the
craze is particularly rampant at this holt
day time of the year. These dainty cards
are such charming souvenirs OF travel and
at the same time are so cheap. handy and
beautiful that the wonder is not that they
are collected, but that everybody does not
appreciate the pleasure and amusement to
be obtained from them They are cheaper
than photographs and easy to purchase,
especially abroad. and it has now become
the most natural thing in the world when
on a holiday trip to buy number and post
them off to ones friends.
Without doubt these picture cards had
their origin in travel, and what more nat
ural when visiting beautiful scenes or see
ing interesting objects than the desire to
share the contemplation of them with some
loved one at home who is not able to enjoy
them with one at the moment?
And another phase of the question is the
fact that they appeal at the same time to
the highest and lowest of emotions-benev-
Olence and laziness. You give pleasure to
the recipient both by the picture itself and
by the thoughtful attention. Then, travel
ing Is tireSome, say what you will, and 1t
Is so easy and lazy to Scrawl few lines on
picture card and let its pretty illustration
make UP for lack of description. killing
two birds with the same stone. The at
tractive bits of paStebOard in this way be-
gin to appeal to the purchaser. and he is
tempted to duplicate for himself, and in
this manner many a collection has COM
menced.
The cards are equally interesting to those
who travel and to those who do not, and
as these two classes include everybody
nearly everybody collects.
All sorts of people become collectors OF
these pretty missives. Perhaps women are
he in this AL
though the list includes numerous men,
lawyers, doctors business men, travellers
and literary men. King Carlos of Portugal
has designed some beautiful cards, and
King Edward when on his travels sends the
trities to his grandchildren.
The Collectors Ways.
The ways of the collector are many and
strange Some of the cult collect only
those cards that have passed through the
mail, while others make a specially of
views that bear the postmark of the town
pictured. Others, again, prefer their treas
ures clean and scorn the soiled cards that
come through the mails.
The mainstay of the collector is the view
post card; but, of course, one may spe-
cialize in cards as in stamps or anything
else The nucleus of the collection, how
ever, will be view cards. After holiday
outing, which in these days OF extensive
touring often takes one over the pond or
across our own continent, the usual thing
is to begin a book of cards, filling it with
postals from the countries visited in their
respective order.
The plan of an expert collector is as fol-
lows: First, he pastes in cards showing
the rulers and arms of the country, or. If
America is the ground to be covered, the
seals of the different states. Then he puts
in scenes of the capitals and the larger
towns visited. When the book is full an
other is provided and labplp0-Enplan6 Ill
or Yellowstone Park Ill and so on. Sep
arate albums are made for personal or pri-
vate cards those of stage celebrities,
Christmas remem branceS, prominent peo-
pie or objects of art. The merely fancy
cards have a book to themselves. Priced
most of all in this collection are the al
buns wherein are housed what are called
commentaries or cards dealing with
historical or topical events.
Plenty Albums.
In the choice of albums themselves there
will be found large variety as to size,
shape and capacity. They may be pur-
chased. according to these specfica tons
at from 25 cents to IS, and the collector
who cannot find exactly the book he wants
among the many varieties now in the mar
ket is difficult to please
For the masterpieces of the collection
there are post card cabinets, into which
the enyious public may look, admire and
and not handle. The collector owes debt
Of gratitude to an Englshman named
Hartman for having first printed on the
front of post card the official regulation
allowing users of picture post cards to
write on One-half of the address side This
concession Is of great value to the collector
who in his eagerness to possess the pre-
cious card cares nothing for the written
message and only covets the picture
That the sending of post cards has
caught on the official reports from the
post Office at Washington shows very
plainly, and large publishing firm that
makes speciality of picture cards attrib-
utes the increase in last years profits to
the sales in the post card department.
From whatever standpoint one looks at
this card collecting, it is a delightful, in
structive and interesting hobby, and, like
charity, is twice blessed, for it pleases both
oneself and ones friends, and good col
lection of post cards is present delight
and a joy forever.
Match Box Stamps.
Another potent distraction is the fad for
amassing matchbox stamps, especially Jap
anese ones, and when these are prettily ar
| ranged they are quite attractive, although
not of any great educational or artistic
value.
Not so we'll known or overworked are the
seaweed collections When at the seashore
the graceful and dainty sea flowers that
come floating up on the sand are a fasci-
mating study and form a beautiful collec-
ton. The enthusiasts take pail with
them down to the waters edge and catch
the Neptune blossoms as they float in with
the tide. Then the trophies are thrown into
large bucket of cold water, and the briny
substance is thoroughly soaked out of
them. The next move in the modus op-
Grant is to have ready piece of bristol
board of a convenient size, and after Sc
lecting the special piece Of weed to be
worked up slip the cardboard under the
treasure and arrange 1t in an artistic fash
ion separating meanwhile the delicate ten
drills of the sea flowers with steel hatpfn.
A great deal of the seaweed is delicately
colored. When different shades are COM
bined bouquet equal in variety and
beauty to the flowers of the land garden Is
the result. When the card is painted with
the moss thin cloth is laid on top and a
heavy weight placed on it. The mounts
should harmonic with the tint of the sea
moss. and In this way lovely marine pic
lures are evolved.
This work when really well done is an art
and one enterprising Florida girl has put
her talent In this direction to marketable
account by making smart dinner cards for
the rich northern visitors to the fashion,
able resorts of the gopher state.
These cards come-in sets Of twelve They
are cut In different shapes, with the edges
beveied or ragged. Guests books are at