Lot #755: Vintage 1906 UK "Oilette" Postcard - "Raphael Tuck & Sons" - "Clovelly High Street" - H.M. Wimbush - Westow St., Upper Norwood, London" - UK Stamp

One Vintage 1906 UK "Oilette" Postcard, used, showing a painted street scene in "Clovelly High Street" This richly coloured postcard indicates the publisher as "Raphael Tuck and Sons 'Oillette' Postcard No. 7464. Art Publishers to Their Majesties, the King and Queen. After the Original Painting by H.M. Wimbush. 'Covelly' Series II" Tuck's Post Card. Carte Postale. Postkarte." Stamped with one 1902 Green United Kingdom Half Penny "King Edward VII" Stamp. Postmarked in November 1906 in Gravesend. Addressed to "Miss H.C. Winder, c/o Mrs. Guy Campbell, 73 Westow street, Upper Norwood, London". This "Oilette" card represents the pinnacle of the Edwardian postcard craze. Produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons, the "Oilette" brand was marketed as "miniature oil paintings," designed to give the average person access to high-quality art for the price of a half-penny stamp. Clovelly, a fishing village in North Devon, was a favorite subject for Tuck because of its dramatic, steep "High Street" where no cars can go—only donkeys and sleds. The Artist, Henry B. Wimbush, was one of Tuck's most prolific and celebrated artists. He was famous for his atmospheric landscapes and village scenes. His style in this series focuses on the unique textures of the whitewashed cottages and the cobblestone "pavement." The "Oilette" Process wasn't just a standard lithograph. Tuck used a specific printing technique that mimicked the brushstrokes and "impasto" of an oil painting. Under a magnifying glass, you can often see a mechanical grain that simulates the texture of a canvas. This was achieved through a specialized printing process in Saxony (Germany), where the inks were applied to give a painterly, non-reflective finish. The inclusion of "Postkarte" and "Carte Postale" alongside "Tuck’s Post Card" shows that Tuck was preparing these for the international Universal Postal Union market. This card was sent in November 1906 from Gravesend (a port town on the Thames in Kent). This was a major maritime hub, and the card likely traveled via the efficient London postal rail system. The Recipient, Miss H.C. Winder, lived at 73 Westow Street, Upper Norwood. This address is significant; Westow Street is the heart of the "Triangle" in Upper Norwood, near the site of the Crystal Palace. Upper Norwood was an affluent residential district during the Edwardian era. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}