My Propaganda & Satirical Postcards of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902.

Spiral bound, with card cover.

By 1899, at the start of the Anglo-Boer War, picture postcards had already caught the public imagination, particularly in Britain and the European countries, though the numbers available were relatively limited.

It can be said that the Anglo-Boer War acted as a catalyst to a massive increase in the production and use of the picture postcard. In Britain, there was a feeling of patriotism towards the British Army, with all its Empire Contingents, in its war against the two Boer Republics of the Orange Vrystaat and The Zuid- Afrikaansche Republiek. Many picture postcards were produced most of a patriotic nature, some not. In contrast, postcard production on the Continent, especially in France, Holland and Germany, where the peoples and publishers strongly supported the efforts of the two Republics against the might of the British Empire, lampooned the [politicians, the initial failures of the British army, and even Queen Victoria and later King Edward VII. Some were extremely caustic in their portrayals and some were grossly inaccurate.

There have been several works on the artists and illustrators of the Anglo-Boer War and two that can be mentioned are The Boer War in Picture Postcards, by Ian McDonald and the phenomenal publication Artists & Illustrators of the Anglo-Boer War by the late Ryno Greenwall.

However, only occasionally are in-depth presentations made of the propaganda and satirical  postcards of the Anglo-Boer War. Such an occasion occurred in May 2013, when John Cowlin displayed his collection to members of the Anglo-Boer War Philatelic Society at their annual gathering in Leamington Spa. Seasoned as these postal historians and associated collectors were, they gazed in amazement at the range and depth of material on display.

It was but a short while later that it was decided that John's presentation should be made more widely available as a memoir, to be published through the Society.

Title, Contents, Foreword by Richard Stroud, 205 pages text with numerous examples, postcards, commentary etc, Ex National Philatelic Society stamp to title page.

Very Good

ISBN 978 0 901038 14 2