Postcards, Pictures, Paper Items > Postcards

SET OF 5 ORIGINAL DONALD McGILL EARLY PIER HEAD POSTCARDS

This item is a set of seaside postcards from one of the most famous of artists to produce this type of material. They are a set of 5 from Donald McGill and show saucy seaside scenes of the period. Commonly known as ‘Pierhead’ postcards, they are fairly old and very collectable. All of the postcards are in a very good condition and protected in individual plastic wallets. There are a few other postcards available if anyone is interested in purchasing more. Click on the picture for a closer look at one of the postcards.

Donald Fraser Gould McGill, (28 January 1875 – 13 October 1962) was an English graphic artist whose name has become synonymous with a whole genre of saucy seaside postcards that were sold mostly in small shops in British coastal towns. The cards feature an array of attractive young women, fat old ladies, drunken middle aged men, honeymoon couples and vicars.

He has been called 'the king of the saucy postcard', and his work is still collected and appreciated for his artistic skill, its power of social observation and earthy sense of humour. Even at the height of his fame he only earned three guineas a design, but today his original artwork can fetch thousands of pounds.

McGill was born in London in 1875. He lost a foot in a school rugby accident, and, having studied at Blackheath Proprietary School, spent most of his life in the Blackheath area of south-east London (living at 5 Bennett Park, SE3 - a blue plaque location).

He was a naval draughtsman until his career in postcards began accidentally in 1904 when an in-law encouraged him after seeing an illustrated get-well card he had made for a sick nephew. Within a year it was his full-time occupation. He studied art and married the daughter of the owner of Crowder's Music Hall in Greenwich.

McGill spent virtually the whole of his career creating the distinctive colour washed drawings which were then reproduced as postcards. He ranked his output according to their vulgarity as mild, medium and strong, with strong being much the best sellers. His family, however was steadfastly respectable. He said of his two daughters: "They ran like stags whenever they passed a comic postcard shop".
Item: TT1350 BA149

3 UNUSED COLOUR POSTCARDS FROM THE VESSEL HMS VICTORY

The year 2005 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the great battle known as The Battle of Trafalgar. This item is one of many fabulous pieces available from TRAVELLERS IN TIME celebrating that 200th anniversary. Some of the pieces are directly linked to the Napoleonic period or to the famous flagship of Lord Horatio Nelson himself ‘HMS VICTORY’. Some other pieces listed are indirectly linked as souvenir items of Lord Nelson, the battle, his ship or the antiquities of the time.

This item is a collection of 3 colour souvenir postcards from the famous flagship vessel HMS Victory. They are all in an unused mint condition and are early type postcard souvenirs.
Item: TT1048 BA Nelson2

SET OF BLACK/WHITE POSTCARDS WITH VIEWS ON BOARD HMS VICTORY

The year 2005 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the great battle known as The Battle of Trafalgar. This item is one of many fabulous pieces available from TRAVELLERS IN TIME celebrating that 200th anniversary. Some of the pieces are directly linked to the Napoleonic period or to the famous flagship of Lord Horatio Nelson himself ‘HMS VICTORY’. Some other pieces listed are indirectly linked as souvenir items of Lord Nelson, the battle, his ship or the antiquities of the time.

This item is a superb set of very early postcard souvenirs from the flagship of Lord Nelson HMS Victory. The postcards show many views of the famous vessel and also include a postcard showing the reported ‘Death of Nelson’ scene.

Some of the views include HMS Victory in dry dock, a bow view showing the figure head and the 32-pounder guns on the lower gun deck. The set of postcards are protected in a paper cover and are all in a mint condition. This early souvenir set is very difficult to date.
Item: TT1046 BA Nelson2

A SEPIA VIEW POSTCARD OF HMS VICTORY AT PORTSMOUTH

The year 2005 celebrates the 200th anniversary of the great battle known as The Battle of Trafalgar. This item is one of many fabulous pieces available from TRAVELLERS IN TIME celebrating that 200th anniversary. Some of the pieces are directly linked to the Napoleonic period or to the famous flagship of Lord Horatio Nelson himself ‘HMS VICTORY’. Some other pieces listed are indirectly linked as souvenir items of Lord Nelson, the battle, his ship or the antiquities of the time.

This item is a nice sepia view postcard of the famous flagship from Lord Nelson’s fleet HMS Victory. The postcard reads across it “The Victory flying Nelson’s famous signal, Portsmouth”, and it is in a very good condition. The age of this postcard is not known.
Item: TT1001 BA Nelson1

A VERY RARE POSTCARD OF THE P&O VESSEL RAWALPINDI

This is a very nice full colour postcard of the period. It shows on it a view of the vessel SS RAWALPINDI in port and reads across it: ‘P AND O S.S. RAWALPINDI 16000 GROSS TONS INDIA MAIL AND PASSENGER SERVICE’. It is in a superb condition and is priced as a rare to find postcard.
Item: TT919 BA109

SET OF 3 RARE POSTCARDS FROM 3 CUNARD LINE SHIPPING VESSELS

PRICE REDUCED - MARITIME POSTCARD SELECTION
MOSTLY RARE, OLD OR UNUSUAL TYPES

This item is a selection of superb very rare postcards from The Cunard Line Shipping Company. They are as follows:

1. CARINTHIA 1954 – 67
2. IVERNIA 1954 – 62
3. SAXONIA 1954 – 62

They are all in a mint condition and are protected in plastic wallets. This is just a few of the fabulous postcards we have available. Many are old and extremely rare.
Item: TT886 BA104

UNUSED B/W POSTCARD OF CUNARD LINE VESSEL THE RMS IVERNIA

MARITIME POSTCARD SELECTION
MOSTLY RARE, OLD OR UNUSUAL TYPES

This item is an unused and mint condition B/W postcard from The Cunard Line vessel The RMS Ivernia 21,717 tons. It is unmarked and protected in a plastic wallet.
Item: TT854 BA101

UNUSED B/W POSTCARD OF SHAW SAVILLE LINE SHIP THE SS CERAMIC

MARITIME POSTCARD SELECTION
MOSTLY RARE, OLD OR UNUSUAL TYPES

This item is an unused and mint condition B/W postcard from The Shaw Saville Line vessel The SS Ceramic 15,896 tons. It is unmarked and protected in a plastic wallet.
Item: TT852 BA101

A COLLECTION OF MINT UNUSED POSTCARDS FROM THE CUNARD LINE

This is a collection of original ‘Postcards’ from The Cunard Line shipping company. They are all in colour and are as follows:

· The Mauritania in port.
· The Saxonia sailing from port.
· The Queen Mary in New York Harbour.
· A Sylvania ‘letter card’.

All of these items are unused and in a mint condition. They are protected in a plastic wallet and are all originals from years gone by.
Item: TT813 BA97

RARE UNUSED OLD POSTCARD OF THE VESSEL S.S. VAAL

MARITIME POSTCARD SELECTION
MOSTLY RARE, OLD OR UNUSUAL TYPES

This is an unused mint condition Full Colour postcard from the old vessel S.S. Vaal. It is in a very good condition and is as new, and is also protected in a plastic wallet.
Item: TT777 BA046