Top contributors for participation:
Craig Starr, 1984-2023
Hal Ottaway, 1984-2024
Kay Feight, 1997-2024
Ruth Hatchett, 1997-2024
Eileen Goldchmidt, 1996-2013
Shirley Montgomery, 1990-2008
Earl Bucken, 1998-2018
Donald Wayne, 2003-2023
Jack Mount, 2002-2023, Arizona cards.
Demaris Swint, 2002-2023
Top contributors for Design:
Ann Rusnak of Nevada (1984-1998)
Rick Geary (1984 - 2024)
National Postcard Week (NPCW) History
By Demaris Swint (revised by Clarissa Ferraris 2025)
NPCW is a week dedicated to the celebration of Deltiology, the study of postcards, as a promotion to encourage and popularize the collecting, publishing and mailing of picture postcards. Collectors commission art from a variety of artists, using a different theme each year. They create designs using special events and anniversaries. Others repeat the same theme year after year with various designs. Collectors are looking for novel ways to better their work from previous years.
1911: National Postcard Week had it's beginnings in 1911 when a few postcards were printed for Postcard Day, May 1. Using slogans like come to Tamps from the Tampa Bay Land Company and the First of May is Postcard Day by the Courier-Informant, a booster for Barlow, Florida.
1912: In Canada, June 1, 1912 was declared "Post Card Day" by the Board of Trade of the city of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. In an article Card Talk (Winter 2017 https://torontopostcardclub.com/?s=Gray+Scrimgeour+ ), Dr. Gray Scrimgeour recalled that it was a Board of Trade effort to promote the new city by having its citizens send out Lewis Rice postcards with pre-printed boasts on the back. Through years of diligent searching, and with the help of fellow collector Don Kaye, Gray has found cards bearing nine different slogans.
1913: postcard black and white view of San Diego, California with this message on the reverse: 1913 Preparations for the International Exposition of progress and Opportunity to be held in San Diego, California, through the entire year of 1915 have been under way for two years and work on the buildings and grounds is now more than fifty percent completes.... The State Societies of the San Diego send you this card of their Postcard Day and hundreds of thousands of similar cards go to all parts of the world.
1914: Hillsboro, Texas, celebrated a Postcard Day on February 7th. It is said that 20,000 post cards advertising Hillsboro were sent out to all quarters of the Globe. Hutchinson, Kansas also celebrated a post card day.
1930s: the Postcard Collectors Club of America suggested national Postcard Week.
1950: In July 9-15, 1950 a hand cancel on a Curt Teich Art Colortone on a linen postcard shows someone was trying to begin a NPCW.
1970s: In the 1970's John McClintock received many suggestions for the celebration.
1980s Ann Rusnak and Louise Northum sent World Postcard Day postcards in the Early 80's.
1983 Governor Richard F. Celeste issued a proclamation stating May 1-7, 1983 as "National Post Card Week" in the State of Ohio.
1984: Our current National Postcard Week began in 1984 with the idea that the International Federation of Postcard Dealers and different clubs would make a postcard to celebrate the postcard and promote their hobby. NPCW began as a way for sellers and collectors to promote the hobby of postcard collecting. To celebrate the week, postcard collectors either design and make their own postcards or purchase them to mail to friends and family. Always being sure the words National Post Card Week and the date are on the Postcard.
Some of those Pioneers were DeeDee Parker of Western Reserve Post Card Society, John McClintock, Roy Cox and Richard Novick. An excerpt from the IFPD Newsletter of March 1, 1983 written by John McClintock. " For the past year we have been working on a Postcard Day, Week or Month to help promote the hobby/business. DeeDee Parker graciously accepted the task of correlating the thoughts of the postcard collectors/dealers in the matter. It seems the majority wishes to have a Postcard Week and that it be held the First full week of May. This will be a lot of fun and insure perpetuation of the hobby in the future.” [Excerpt from The Postcard Dealer & Collector Volume VII No. 1 Feb/Mar 1984]
May 6-12, 1984, as the first National Postcard Week commemorates 91 years of the availability of American picture postcards. The actual opening of the World's Colombian Exposition was in May 1893 that was held in Chicago. At this event, the first American made postcards were available to the public.
Now what would National Postcard Week be without postcards? There are some new ones planned, too. John McClintock has circulated the address economical painting is available for clubs and individuals. These planned future collectibles has awaiting collectors already. So Plan a postcard for the first National Postcard Week! Submitted by DeeDee Parker. [Excerpt from The Postcard Dealer & Collector Volume VII No. 3 June/July 1984]
1984 Governor Charles S. Robb of the Commonwealth of Virginia officially recognized National Postcard Week.
At the instigation of Thelma Morris Jimmy L. Young, Sr. Mayor of Dalton, Georgia on April 14, 1984 proclaimed May 6-12, 1984 as National Postcard Week.
Thelma Morris, according to a letter from Ann Rusnak was the very first person to issue a postcard commemorating NPCW 1984.
That same year in the United Kingdom June 16-24 was declared NPCW. Unfortunately, it lasted only three years,1984-1986. The NPCW in UK was promoted by Alan Bower. Several postcard exhibitions were set up to coincide with it. A few cards were published after 1986 (until 2004) by Rosalind Wicks. [Brian Lund]. Read also the article on Picture Postcard Magic [March 2024 issue on page 8]
In May, 1985 The Milwaukee Post Card Collectors Club placed a large sign on the side of the City Hall to publicize NPCW. A giant 28 x 40 inch postcard was drawn by Norm Ramsey depicting the Cedar Rapids skyline and Five Seasons Logo. On May 7 this card was presented to Mayor Canney by then President, Peter McCormick, of the Cedar Rapids Postcard Club.
Postcard Collector Magazine sponsored a Postcard Design contest for 1985. The winning designers won $50 and 500 postcards.
1990s - 2002: Leslie Raymond Radice was selected by Ann Rusnak to organize the NPCW. Thus, she started before Ann Rusnak passed away .
1998: Ann Rusnak of Nevada dies. She was one of the most prolific artists to design postcards for NPCW. Her standard medium was India ink with a speedball pen, a toy light table and typing paper. She also produced the first checklist.
Who was in charge between 2002 and 2014?
2014: Demaris Swint took over the organization of NPCW
2023: Wichita Postcard Club recorded a presentation by Demaris Swint about NPCW. Unfortunately, she died on October 30, 2023.
2024: NPCW organization was taken over by Clarissa Ferraris and Emery Heuermann. A new website was created and 75 participants exchanged postcards
2025: Emery Heuermann organized the NPCW
2026: Clarissa Ferraris, Dede Horan and Raina van Setter are the organizers