Lot #793: Vintage 1923 UK North Devon Postcard - "Wildersmouth Beach, Ilfracombe" - Judges, Ltd. (Hastings) - Ilfracombe - UK Half Penny "George V" stamps

One Vintage 1923 UK North Devon Postcard, used, showing a craggy beach scene with the caption "891. Wildersmouth Beach, Ilfracombe, Judges". This postcard does indicates the publisher as "Judges, Ltd., Hastings". Stamped with two Green United Kingdom Half Penny "King George V" Stamps. Postmarked in July 1922 in Ilfracombe. Addressed to "Mr. J. Smith, 209 Dean Ch. Lane, Dean, Bolton." The message in a fine small hand in ink is in part: "Dear Father, ...Tomorrow we go by char-a-banc to Clovelly...." This Judges postcard is a premier example of the "Real Photo" era of British topography, captured by the legendary firm founded by Fred Judge. Judge was a master of "Atmospheric" photography and a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. A Judges card is almost always a high-quality Real Photo Postcard (RPPC). They were famous for their "Sepia" tones and the way they captured dramatic, "craggy" lighting—perfect for the rugged North Devon coast at Ilfracombe. The message from the sender to their father in Bolton captures a specific moment in British transport history. The mention of going to Clovelly by "char-a-banc" is a classic 1920s detail. These were open-topped motorized buses (early ancestors of the tour bus) that opened up the countryside to the working and middle classes of industrial towns like Bolton. In June 1921, the postcard rate had been raised to 1½d, but it was lowered back to 1d in May 1922. By using two half-penny stamps in July 1922, the sender was complying with the new 1d domestic rate. Ilfracombe was the "Brighton of the West," and its post office would have been incredibly busy in July, handling thousands of cards like this one. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}