Blog - Pen Boutique — Category_postcards

Question: What ink formula is the standard for use in the United States Post Office?Answer: 11.7 grams of tannic acid, 3.8 grams of gallic acid crystals, 15 grams of ferrous sulphate crystals, 12.5 grams of a diluted hydrochloric acid, 12.5 grams of phenol acid, 1 gram of black dye and 1 liter of distilled water.At the turn of the century, the United States government devised a standard for ink for use in post offices. With much wear and tear on pens used in United States Post Offices, this formula was written originally to provide ink for use in its lobbies....

Question: What is the oldest ink-written postcard?Answer: The oldest ink-written postcard is dated 1840 and was discovered in 2002. It was penned by an English gentleman who sent it to himself. Prior to this discovery, postcards in the late 1960s from Germany, Austria and the USA were thought to be the oldest ones of record.

The Ingenious Postcards The first postcard was issued by the United States Post Office Department on May 13, 1873. The marks for mailing on the card depicted the bust of Liberty and a circle with the postage amount of one cent. Most cards were used widely as advertisement in the U.S., until they were in general use after the World Columbian Exposition in 1893. Colored cards of the Exposition went on sale and they became extremely popular. On May 19, 1898, an Act of Congress was passed so that privately published postcards were given the same message privileges and rates...