Anthropologie's Cover Story Postcards.

Postcards serve many functions: souvenirs for vacations, a way to keep in touch and, occasionally, a form of advertising. From the storefront to the mailroom and from your hand to your friend’s, postcards are never hidden away under envelopes and foul-tasting adhesive. Instead, they are out to show the world that they can be eye candy for anyone, regardless of final destinations. Designers have taken note and are working to make their way onto these traveling and publicly displayed pieces. Even chains have begun to sell postcards, such as Anthropolgie’s Cover Story Postcards that feature covers of old Penguin Classics.

But the best postcards are usually the hardest to find – sold and made by independent designers, printing houses and boutiques. They also usually preclude any hint at the Eiffel Tower or any spin on the phrase “Greetings from/Wish you were with us in [...].”  Glance at the following for some examples of this public, traveling art that doubles as a letter to a friend (or that you can horde for yourself).

Clockwise from top left:

Winkzeichen: postcard featuring German semaphore, MMM Berlin

merci: postcard, Simon Oxley @ idokungfoo.com

merci: postcard, reverse

ultra: banal: postcard, ultrastudio @ ultra.li

Amuse-toi: postcard “Have fun decoding this message” Answer: “Big kisses”, Marion Billet of Cartes d’Art

Westumfahrung bei Brunau, Zürich: postcard, Tobias Frieman @ frieman.ch

Thumbnail photo credit:  http://peteyandlars.blogspot.com/