Lot #792: Vintage 1911 UK Devon Postcard - "High Street, Clovelly" - Minneapolis, Minn. - Transatlantic - Red UK Penny "Edward VII" stamp

One Vintage 1911 UK Devon Postcard, used, showing a heavily-treed cottage road with the caption "High Street, Clovelly". This full-colour painted postcard does not indicate a publisher but is marked "Dainty Series" Stamped with one Red United Kingdom One Penny "King Edward VII" Stamp. Postmarked in July 1911 in Clovelly. Addressed to "Mrs. C.S. Hamilton, 328 10th line, S.E., Minneapolis, Minn., U.S.A." The message in a fine small hand in ink is in part: "This is the dearest little, queerest little, and sleepiest village you could ever think of." This "Dainty Series" card captures what was—and remains—one of the most photographed villages in England. Clovelly is unique in English Heritage because it is a privately owned village, famous for its incredibly steep, cobbled main street that descends 400 feet to the sea. The "High Street" was essentially a staircase of cobbles where no vehicles were allowed; sleds pulled by donkeys were the only form of transport—a "sleepy" detail that likely charmed the sender. The "Dainty Series" specialized in what collectors call "Art-Style" lithography. This isn't a hand-colored photograph but a print based on a commissioned painting. This technique was favored for places like Clovelly because it emphasized the "fairytale" aesthetic the village was famous for. The sender's description—"the dearest little, queerest little, and sleepiest village"—was a common sentiment in the early 1900s. Clovelly was marketed as a "time capsule," a place where the industrial revolution had been kept at bay. The Red One Penny (1d) King Edward VII stamp is a crucial detail. While King Edward VII died in 1910, his stamps remained in circulation until the "Lion" and "Downey Head" stamps of George V became standard. The 1d rate was required because the card was traveling to the United States; the standard domestic rate was only a half-penny (½d). Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}