Asides

One of the nice things about a postcard collection is that it doesn't take up much room, a couple of shoeboxes and you are all set. But of course the cards need to be seen to be appreciated and enjoyed. We have many of the cards you see on this blog placed around the house, most in small, simple display stands. Some sit on the bookshelf, others on a bureau, night stand, etc. Another approach is to scan them and then enlarge and sometimes colorize them (blasphemy to some I know) and put them in period frames. We have collected a number of what are referred to today as "reverse-painted" frames. These frames were produced from the twenties through the forties and were available in department stores and five and dimes. They were cheap to produce and hundreds, if not thousands, of designs were to be had. The concept and construction of the reverse painted frame is pure simplicity. A single sheet of glass has a design painted on the back, leaving an opening for the picture to show through and the back is a single sheet of paperboard that is either glued on directly to the glass or held to it with screws or corner brackets. Sizes range from 2x3 to 12x15.


The beauty of these frames lies in their designs. Most were done in either a deco or modern/streamline style. In my opinion they work so well together with the images of the actresses of the period. The pictures below show a number of these frames and how we use them with images scanned from the postcards and I should note, images found in magazines of the period.

Most of the frames were found on Ebay (search reverse painted frames), but they can occasionally be found in antique shops. Since the are just a single piece of glass, and were cheap, many didn't survive. Prices usually range from $10 to $50, depending on size and condition.

There is also a wonderful book, "Picture Perfect-Deco Photo Frames 1926-1946", authored by Steve Starr and published by Rizzoli in 1991. It is out of print, but may be available through Alibris or ABE.