Fantasy, Novelty and Puzzle Cards

Since Giuseppe Arcimboldo painted his metamorphic portraits in the 16th century, several artists decided to make this kind of composite paintings. In particular, in the last decade of the 19th century, fantasy postcards with metamorphic images of famous people or mythological characters became popular.

<- Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593) - self-portrait

Other cards of similar design or showing other deceptive or surreal images as well as novelty and puzzle cards are included in this album.

Also included, under a broad definition of “fantasy,” are cards showing fairyland images by English illustrators Margaret Tarrant (1888-1959), René Cloke (1904-1995) and Warwick Goble (1864-1943) as well as romantic imaginery visions of childhood by German artist Berta Hummel (1909-1946) and others.

Sub-albums

Postcards

  • PC_Fantasy_Bismarck
  • PC_Fantasy_Kaiser
  • PC_Fantasy_Napoleon
  • PC_Fantasy_Napoleon2
  • PC_Fantasy_LeopoldII
  • PC_Fantasy_EdouardVII
  • PC_Fantasy_Hamid
  • PC_Fantasy_Brisson
  • PC_Fantasy_Mondaine
  • PC_Fantasy_Faune
  • PC_Fantasy_Faunex
  • PC_Fantasy_Roue
  • PC_Fantasy_Satyr
  • PC_Fantasy_BonVivant
  • PC_Fantasy_Diabolo?
  • PC_Fantasy_Mephisto
  • PC_Fantasy_Viveur
  • PC_Fantasy_Ett233
  • PC_Fantasy_Pierrot
  • PC_Fantasy_RêveVierge
  • PC_Fantasy_Sole
  • PC_Fantasy_Liszt
  • PC_Fantasy_Wagner
  • PC_Fantasy_Wagner2
  • PC_Fantasy_Beethoven
  • PC_Fantasy_Strauss
  • PC_Fantasy_Shakespeare
  • PC_Fantasy_Shakespeare2
  • PC_Fantasy_Tannhäuser
  • PC_Fantasy_Bajazzo
  • PC_Fantasy_TempiPassati
  • PC_Fantasy_Sport
  • PC_FrWWI_0175-Fantasy
  • PC_FrWWI_0067
  • PC_FrWWI_0105Inverted this image looks like this -&gt;
  • PC_Novelty01b
  • PC_Prop0119a
  • PC_German12a & -12b
  • PC_ArtN_JGMathieson01
  • PC_ArtN_JGMathieson02
  • PC_German11
  • PC_FrWWI_CV01
  • PC_Fantasy_Jungfrau
  • PC_Prop0062Puzzle card : The hidden slacker is shown here -&gt;
  • PC_Prop0063Puzzle card : The hidden image of the Kaiser is shown here -&gt;
  • PC_Prop0094Puzzle card : The hidden image of the Zeppelin is shown here -&gt;
  • PC_Prop0095Puzzle card : The hidden image of the Kaiser is shown here -&gt;
  • PC_Prop0060Unused postcard - Hold to the Light series No 5. This image can be seen through the right side of the card when lit from behind.
  • PC_HTL01&lt;- Hold card to light and, lo and behold, a touch of Edwardian sauciness! How risqué is that?
  • PC_HTL02Unused undivided back postcard dating from about 1903. A bit drab? Hold card to light and enjoy the view -&gt;
  • PC_HTL03&lt;- Hold card to light and, lo and behold, she has an admirer.
  • PC_Silhouette_L-HorseGuards
  • PC_Silhouette_L-RoyalExchange
  • PC_Puzzle-Landscape_936-1Apparently a normal landscape, but turn the card sideways and……
  • PC_Puzzle-Landscape_936-2Apparently a normal landscape, but turn the card sideways and……
  • PC_Surreal-Feininger01The Lady in Mauve by Lyonel Feininger (1871-1956) Lyonel Charles Feininger was a German-American painter, and a leading exponent of Cubism and Expressionism. He was born on 17 July 1871 and grew up in New York City, traveling to Germany at 16 to study and perfect his art. He started his career as a cartoonist in 1894 and met with much success in this area. He was also a commercial caricaturist for 20 years for magazines and newspapers in the USA and Germany. &lt;- Lyonel Feininger by Emil Orlik 1906 At the age of 36, Feininger started to work as a fine artist. When the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, the situation became unbearable for him and his wife. They moved to America in 1936, where Lyonel continued to work as artist as well as photographer, musician and composer. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1955. He died in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York on 13 January 1956.
  • PC_ArtN_LumineuseUnused novelty postcard - after being exposed to a bright light, the card is supposed to glow in darkness (?) Pub: L Maillard et Fils, Clamart (Seine)
  • PC_PeterPan01
  • PC_PeterPan02
  • PC_PeterPan03
  • PC_PeterPan04
  • PC_Faulkner1190B-Poppyland
  • PC_Fantasy_SIP173-6 (1)Postcard franked Castelnaudary in Southern France 1903 (PC_Fantasy_SIP173-6 (1)) No 6 of Fantasy series SIP173 which show beautiful women as butterflies and are signed Reutlinger (for photos) and John Laurent (for artistic work).
  • PC_DanaGibson-PCx
  • PC_USPost_Novelty-PuzzleA US Postal Service stamp design puzzle published in quasi-PC format.
  • PC_Fantasy_Babies1
  • PC_Tuck_Novelty-Puzzle01aA Tuck’s Penny Jigsaw Puzzle published in quasi-PC format.