Postcard; Embroidered

Embroidered postcard ‘Hope and love'. Embroidered postcards from the First World War are generally known as ‘WW1 Silks’. They were first produced in 1914 through to 1918, declining substantially from 1919 onwards, and are generally not found after 1923. The cards were generally hand embroidered onto strips of silk mesh with as many as 25 on a strip, and were mostly produced by French and Belgian women refugees in their homes and refugee camps. The finished strips were sent to factories for cutting and mounting onto postcards. Some cards had the central portion cut as a flap so that a tiny printed greeting card could be inserted in a pocket behind the silk front and the stiff back. The beauty and uniqueness of the ‘WW1 Silks’ made them hugely popular with British and American servicemen. Hence, why the themes for most of the silks produced are patriotic and feature British, French and American flags, symbols and greetings.