Three historic postcards, three world-famous travel destinations, and a shared story across the Atlantic: This special convolute connects New York, Washington, and Puerto Rico with Kirchberg am Wechsel in Lower Austria.
Unique Original Convolute: Offered are exactly the three pictured, postally used postcards. These are not reprints or modern reproductions.
Three Old Postcards with an Exceptional Postal Journey
The front sides show three impressive motifs from the United States and Puerto Rico:
- the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island in New York,
- the White House in Washington, D.C.,
- the historic Condado Beach Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
All three postcards were sent by mail to Europe. Their common destination was Kirchberg am Wechsel in Lower Austria. Two cards bear clearly visible handwritten dates from June 1966.
Many decades later, the cards came to Hungary with a small collection. Today, they are located in Vas County, near Körmend. Thus, their history extends from North America and the Caribbean, across Lower Austria, to Western Hungary.
Statue of Liberty in New York – Mailed June 20, 1966
The first historic postcard shows the Statue of Liberty under a vast blue sky. The monument is depicted in its entirety, with its pedestal and the surrounding waterfront. The calm composition and the typical color reproduction of the time give the card its authentic character.
On the back are a handwritten message in blue ink, the Austrian recipient's address, three American five-cent stamps, and postal cancellations. The date indicated is June 20, 1966.
The White House in Washington – Mailed June 1, 1966
The second postcard shows the White House with its distinctive columned portico, a large lawn, and trees framing it on the sides. The building is clearly central and is depicted in the representative style typical of historic travel views.
The fully written-on reverse side bears three violet four-cent stamps featuring Abraham Lincoln, postmarks, and cancellation lines. The address was supplemented with the international country designations "Austria" and "Europe." The card is dated June 1, 1966.
Condado Beach Hotel in San Juan – Historic Air Mail from Puerto Rico
The third card shows the Condado Beach Hotel directly on the coast of San Juan. Visible are the large hotel complex, red roofs, beach, surf, palm trees, and the then-existing urban development of the Condado coastal district.
The reverse side is particularly impressive: In addition to the handwritten message and the pre-printed hotel text, there are two five-cent stamps, a green one-cent stamp, postal cancellations, and a clearly visible red "AIR MAIL" endorsement.
The Special Feature: For these cards, not only the front sides are collectible. Stamps, postmarks, handwriting, dates, and the documented postal journey also make the reverse sides independent historical testimonies.
A Coherent Convolute with a Common Recipient Region
The three cards are offered exclusively together. They share the same Austrian destination and now form a small, cohesive postcard convolute.
Whether all cards were originally written by the same person or during a single trip cannot be definitively proven. However, the common recipient region and the chronological proximity of the dated cards establish a discernible historical connection.
It is precisely this honest classification that makes the set valuable: Its history is based on the genuinely preserved originals and not on retrospectively invented information.
Condition of the Historic Postcards
The cards are in their original condition, corresponding to their age and postal use. Visible features include:
- light to more noticeable edge and corner wear,
- age-related toning of the cardboard,
- minor scuffs and signs of use,
- handwritten inscriptions,
- stamps, postmarks, and cancellations.
These features are part of the history of postally used postcards. No inscriptions have been removed, and no cards have been restored. Personal names may be blacked out on published product images for reasons of discretion; all historical entries on the delivered original cards will, of course, remain intact.
The images are part of the condition description. Please examine the front and back sides carefully.
For Which Collectors Is This Set Interesting?
The convolute is particularly suitable for collectors interested in the following themes:
- old and historic postcards,
- used postcards from the 1960s,
- New York and the Statue of Liberty,
- Washington, D.C., and the White House,
- Puerto Rico and San Juan,
- historic hotels and tourism history,
- American stamps and postmarks,
- airmail and international postal history,
- Austria and Lower Austria,
- cross-border travel and family history.
Only Available Once: Historic postcards are unique items. After the sale, this exact convolute with its handwriting, stamps, postmarks, and signs of use will not be available again.
Scope of Delivery
You will receive the three original postcards pictured:
- Statue of Liberty, New York – Front and back
- White House, Washington, D.C. – Front and back
- Condado Beach Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico – Front and back
Only the set of three original cards is sold. Decorations and other items in staged cover images are not included in the scope of delivery.