Early Cards With an Embroidered Motif

EMBROIDERED SILK POSTCARDS FROM

THE EARLY PERIOD (1899 – 1914)

PART 3

EARLY CARDS WITH AN APPLIQUED EMBROIDERED MOTIF


In my book, An Illustrated History of the Embroidered Silk Postcard, I stated that the first embroidered silk postcards appeared at the Paris Exhibition of 1900. This statement seemed to be correct at the time, but I now know it to be incorrect. A series of earlier cards were introduced by a company called Gebruder Schmidt of Vienna, Austria in 1899. These cards and other early embroidered silk postcards were made without a frame around the embroidered panel. They form Part 1 of the articles on my research into Early Embroidered Silk Postcards and have a full page dedicated to them: Early Cards Without a Frame.


Part 2 of my research into early embroidered silk postcards is dedicated to cards with a frame around the embroidered silk panel, and can be found here: Early Cards With a Frame.


The full listing of all the early embroidered silk postcards can be found here: Early (Pre-1914) Cards.



This page describes early embroidered silk postcards where an embroidered motif is appliquéd (or stuck on) to a printed card. This style of card became popular in the United States, but not in Europe. It has to be understood that the main output of the embroidery industry in this period was focussed on the manufacture of embroidered motifs to sew onto clothing. Embroidered silk panels to create postcards probably only ever became a small part of the business.


Embroidered motif postcards seem to have been introduced by about 1908 and lasted until about 1912. They covered the whole United States with a few from Canada. About 180 different designs are known. Similar cards to these were made in France during the First World War, by which time the interest in the cards in the United States had waned.

Several different publishers were involved in producing embroidered motif postcards in the United States. It is likely that the embroidery was sourced from France or Switzerland as there is no evidence for embroidery factories in the United States at this time.


Information and images on this site are © Ian Collins 2021.

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WDNA (probably United States)

WDNA appears to have been the major publisher of cards with an appliquéd embroidered motif, presumably in the United States. No information is available for the company. Their initials are printed on the front of many of the cards, usually followed by: "PATENT APPLIED FOR.". Many cards have no company initials, just "PATENT APPLIED FOR." in the same typeface, with identical printed postal details on the back. The cards are slightly narrower than normal at about 3.25 inches (not 3.5 inches). The majority of their cards were aimed at the American market, with a few for Canadian consumption.

Some of the WDNA cards are printed on the front with the words "HAND EMBROIDERED" or "HAND MADE", which presumably means that the embroidered silk motifs were cut out and stuck onto the pre-printed card by hand, as the embroidery has clearly been made on a machine and the remnants of the backing fabric are visible around the edge of many motifs.

Most of the WDNA cards carry emblems of academic institutions, as pennants of their school colours. The embroidered motifs were intended to be removed from the card base and attached to the school uniform. A few cards have a printed picture of action during a football match, which implies that the cards were directed towards the support of the teams in the institution, especially American football and baseball. An even rarer feature is an illustration of the college itself. This is an extensive series of cards and as many as 100 different designs may have been produced. The embroidered motifs all seem to be appliquéd on the slant with a space between the flagpole and the pennant.

There was also a range of patriotic and greetings cards available, with a few military cards. Most of the academic and military cards are printed on the front with the message: "If in these colours you believe, Then put this emblem on your sleeve". There are slight variations in the wording, but they all mean the same. The printing on the front of the card usually reflects the colours of the pennants on the academic and military cards.

Many variations of these cards were made by other publishers, but they all seem to be imitating WDNA. It is possible that they got away with it because copyright laws were less stringent in those days.

Illinois North Division Hockey League.

This WDNA greetings card is from about 1908 and also exists with a red central monkey.

Another card with a pictorial play on words using an appliquéd anchor. The US Navy was a popular theme of this period.

There are at least five different "Teddy Bear" cards in this design with different slogans and differently coloured bears. The image of Theodore Roosevelt in the top left corner links them to his political activities in the early years of the 20th Century. There are some rare cards of the bear stood up.

At least three different designs exist with Father Christmas embroidered in either a red or green suit.

There are very few embroidered silk postcards with a theme of Valentine's Day, and they all originate in the United States. These early appliqued examples come from about 1908.

Ruff Brothers, Brooklyn, New York, United States

Ruff Brothers were prolific publishers of embroidered silk postcards in the period between about 1907 and 1912, although nothing is now known about them as a company. Their embroidered designs were elaborate, unique to them and probably sourced from France or Switzerland. Many of their embroidered cards had a chevron-style border printed in gold around the edge of the card. This feature was retained in their cards with an appliquéd motif.

This embroidered silk postcard was made by Ruff Brothers in about 1908, and is one of a large series of cards with an identical frame.

This card has the same frame as the one alongside it, and it is this feature that allows us to attribute this series of motif cards to Ruff Brothers.

It is clear that there was some copying of ideas between the different publishers of embroidered motif postcards. This Ruff Brothers card almost duplicates the academic WDNA cards shown above, but not quite. All the cards have no space between the flagpole and the pennant, and most of them are upright.

Saxe Embroidery Co. New York, United States

Little is known about the Saxe Embroidery Co. as a business, but it must have been substantial in its day as they opened the only architect designed textile manufacturing facility in the Bronx district of New York in 1904. The building is still in existence today.

A few academic cards are known that show printed sportspeople and the information: "COPYWRITED, 1908, BY SAXE EMBROIDERY CO., N.Y."

Embroidered Motif Postcards from Unknown Publishers

It seems that at least ten unknown publishers were issuing similar postcards with embroidered motifs appliqued to them during the period of 1907 to 1912. They are differentiated by a different design, especially of the border. A few have details of local publishers that may just have been a sales outlet in the town. Most of them resemble the cards shown above from known publishers, and they may have been the source. They all stopped making embroidered motif postcards at about the same time.

A few cards can be found with details of a local sales outlet. This one is "published by Harris Book Store, Nevada, MO." which is the same place as "Cottey College".

This card is very similar to the WDNA cards described above, except it has a pronounced red border and slightly different wording. The border is also known in shades of blue and green.

The design of this border, on an Easter Greetings card, can also be found on academic cards. It is also seen in red and blue.

A Teddy Bear card with no indication of Theodore Roosevelt. It has an Art Nouveau border, which has also been seen on academic cards.

This card was sent in 1909 and comes from a series of patriotic cards with different national flags, including Cuba, France, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. They all use the same verse in English.

This card from the United States is in the same series and has the opening lines of the Star Spangled Banner, which suggests that this series of cards was produced in the United States.