Lot #797: Vintage 1900s UK Chester Postcard - "River Dee and Groves, Chester" - Small River Boats - "Huke's Library, Chester" - "Cestrian Series" - Unused

One Vintage 1900s UK Chester Postcard, unused, showing a painting of small river boats on a river, with the caption "River Dee and Groves, Chester". This full colour postcard indicates the publisher as "The Cestrian Series. Published at Huke's Library, Chester. Printed in Great Britain". The postcard has a divided back marked "This space, as well as the back, may be used for Inland Communication, Post Card Rate, and for Foreign at Letter Rate." No Stamp. Never Postally Used. No Message. This Cestrian Series card is a classic example of "Stationer's Publishing," where a local business—in this case, Huke’s Library on The Eastgate in Chester—commissioned a bespoke series to capture the unique heritage of their city. The River Dee has been the heart of Chester's leisure life for centuries, and this "Groves" view captures the transition from a medieval defensive river to a Victorian-era promenade. The Groves is the famous riverside walkway along the River Dee in Chester, laid out in the 1700s and refined in the 1880s. This is an "Artist View" postcard. In the early 20th century, local libraries like Huke’s often preferred painted views for their cards because they could "idealize" the scene—brightening the colors of the river and removing any unsightly industrial elements of the era. The term "Cestrian" is the traditional demonym for a resident of Chester. By branding the cards as the "Cestrian Series," Huke’s Library appealed to both proud locals and visitors looking for an "authentic" souvenir. The fact this card was "Printed in Great Britain" confirms the post-1905 shift away from German printing. It shows that even local libraries were utilizing the growing British lithographic industry in cities like Manchester or Liverpool. The specific wording on the back—"This space... may be used for Inland Communication... and for Foreign at Letter Rate"—is an excellent diagnostic for dating. The Rule: Between 1902 and 1907, the UK allowed divided backs for domestic use at the lower Postcard Rate, but the Universal Postal Union (UPU) was still strictly "address-only" on the back for international mail at the at the lower Postcard Rate. During that period, a message on the back of this card would have to pay the higher Letter Rate rather than the cheaper Postcard Rate. Once the UPU changed its rules in 1907, this complicated instruction disappeared from card designs. So this card clearly dates between 1902 and 1907, and most likely between 1905 and 1907. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}