Insert Cards
An Illustrated History of the Embroidered Silk Postcards is the standard reference book on embroidered silk postcards. It contains references to over 2600 different cards with over 270 illustrations.
Embroidered silk postcards are available in four different styles: horizontal, vertical, horizontal with an envelope front, and vertical with an envelope front. Horizontal cards with an envelope front were introduced as early as 1912, whereas vertical cards with an envelope front seem to have been introduced during the First World War and there are much fewer designs with this feature.
Once the envelope front was introduced, it provided space to include a small printed card. At first, these seem to be derived from Victorian scraps that were popular at the time for sticking into scrap albums. Cards specifically designed for insertion into embroidered silk postcards were introduced in about 1915, as the volume of embroidered postcard manufacture expanded rapidly. Many of these were dated "1914 1915" and the same cards seem to have been reproduced throughout the First World War. Consequently, there are very few designs showing the United States flag, as they did not join the War until April 1917.
It has always been believed that the insert card was chosen separately from the postcards, but it is clear that some actually came with the purchased card. The Inter-Art Company published a small catalogue of embroidered silk postcards in about 1916 and stated about some of their cards: "No wordings are embroidered on these (cards), but inserted in the pockets are neat printed cards with original greetings of an affectionate nature." Elsewhere it states that cards with the embroidered captions To my dear Father, Mother, Wife, etc. "can be supplied with general, sentimental, relation or birthday cards inserted."
It is likely that not all publishers provided the insert card already inside the embroidered card, but it does seem that the insert card was included in the price of the card. It is likely that there were occasions when an insert card was not available and it is clear that some embroidered postcards with envelope fronts never had an insert card.
There is a common belief that the insert card adds value to the embroidered postcard. That has never been my experience and it seems that collectors are mainly interested in the embroidered design on the postcard, foregoing the insert card if necessary.
Cards advertising French perfume are often seen and it is likely that these were acquired separately and inserted into the cards. They were originally impregnated with the perfume and it is still possible to find cards with a residual fragrance after more than one hundred years - they must have been very pungent at the time they were originally sent.
A few cards are known that were printed onto celluloid, an early plastic.
Specially produced insert cards almost ceased being manufactured by about 1920, even though horizontal envelope front postcards were manufactured throughout the 1920s and 1930s. During the 1920s a few rare insert cards were produced using embroidery as the main part of the design. By the Second World War, the envelope front was a rare feature on embroidered silk postcards and hardly any are seen with insert cards during the period.
The envelope front also enabled senders to include other artefacts, including: short letters, often on scraps of thin paper; small embroidered silk handkerchiefs; small photographs; and dried flowers, most of which are disintegrating after such a long time. The dried flowers are the most poignant: they must have been prepared specially as a memento or special keepsake, and now are just debris in the pocket of an embroidered silk postcard, forgotten and not required.
Insert cards come with a warning: there is no guarantee that the card now inside a card is the original. Embroidered silk postcards have been through many hands since they were first sent over one hundred years ago. During this time, the insert card could have been taken out, or changed, or lost, or inserted into a different embroidered card. Collections of insert cards frequently come up for sale and most of these must have been inside a postcard at some point in the past.
I have never met a collector of insert cards, but I have met many collectors of embroidered silk postcards who remove the insert card and keep it separately. The main reason for this is that the insert card can distort the embroidered image, especially those that are heavily printed, some of which are dark. Insert cards come in a range of background colours, including beige, peach, pale yellow, pale blue, green, pink and dark sepia. All the images on this website are shown with the insert card removed.
There are a few clues that the insert card is the original. The only certain one is if the sender has signed or written on the insert card and the signature or handwriting matches that on the postcard. Also, if the subject matter matches is it a good sign that the insert card is original; for example: a card embroidered "To my dear sister" that has an insert card with the same caption.
It is evident that the insert card was sometimes used as a way of sending a "secret message", especially to a loved one. Buried inside the card, a short message of love or affection written on the back of the insert card was hidden from prying eyes.
A common fault with horizontal embroidered silk postcards with an envelope front is that the bottom of the frame has become detached. I believe this is due to the insert card that has "worked its way through" the adhesive on the frame as the card has been handled and moved over many years. Sometimes, the insert card is inside but, more often, it has been lost. The insert card can also work its way through the delicate silk fabric, especially if it has a square corner.
Many insert cards have simple designs appropriate for the time, but some are elaborate and designed by known postcard artists of the period. The most notable of these was Xavier Sager, a well known artist of French glamour postcards. A similar series is known from an artist who signed himself "Charley". The designs in both these series are very similar.
A selection of different insert cards is shown below.
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Victorian style scraps such as the two illustrated here seem to have been the earliest type of card inserted into the envelope front of an embroidered silk postcard. They usually have a simple greeting printed on the back.
From these elaborate designs, it is easy to see how they could distort the image from beneath the embroidery.
A selection of insert cards by Xavier Sager, who was a prolific artist of glamorous women on a large number of picture postcards.
The design of the Xavier Sager insert card shown above is also seen on a rare, fully embroidered silk postcard. It is not known which came first: the postcard or the insert card. There is no other similar example of the same design on both types of card.
These insert cards are signed "Charley". They are similar to the cards designed by Xavier Sager, above, but there is no information on the identity of the artist.
The card on the right has a pale yellow background.
A range of patriotic insert cards with Allied flags. Note that only the last two show the United States flag, and this is a rare feature as they only joined the war in April 1917, and most of the designs of insert cards were established by this date.
Examples of insert cards with sentimental themes, some of which have different coloured backgrounds. The styles vary from Art Nouveau to early Art Deco.
A patriotic insert card that is printed on celluloid, an early plastic.
There are a few insert cards that have dark sepia backgrounds, such as this one. They often completely obscure the delicacy of the embroidery. It is easy to see why they could be taken out of the card and kept separately.
Examples of cards advertising French perfume that have been found inside embroidered silk postcards. Some of these still retain a faint whiff of perfume after more than one hundred years.
Examples of rare insert cards that use embroidery for the main design. I believe that these come from the 1920s and I have never seen one actually inside an embroidered card, as they are always taken out and kept separate.
There is no doubt that the insert card sent inside this embroidered silk postcard is the original. The theme, the message and the handwriting are all totally correct. It is fortunate that the sender could not get an insert card to "Mother" and had to write over the word "Father".