REWARD: $250 CDN and Lifetime Vancouver Post Card Club Membership!
At this point in time (May 2016), the postcard you see above is the earliest known British Columbia picture postcard. On July 22, 1899 it was mailed from Vancouver B.C. to Washington D.C. The Vancouver Postcard Club (VPC) believes someone, somewhere, has an even earlier B.C. picture postcard.
If such a B.C. picture postcard exists, the VPC – upon completing a satisfactory inspection of the postcard – will reward the postcard’s owner with $250.00 CDN. In addition, the postcard’s owner will receive a Lifetime Club Membership* in the Vancouver Postcard Club.
The Fine Print: *Lifetime Club Membership stays in effect for as long as the noted B.C. picture postcard remains the earliest known example. If, at some future VPC show, the existence of an even earlier BC picture postcard is verified by the VPC the VPC Lifetime Club Membership will come to an end.
For the purpose of this quest the actual postcard must be presented to the VPC President by 2:00PM on May 29th, at the Vancouver Postcard Club’s annual show (see this website’s announcements section for 2016 show details). The judging panel – VPC President and two members of the VPC Executive – will announce the results of their review at 3:00PM on May 29th.
To qualify as a B.C. picture postcard, the image displayed on the postcard must be, to the satisfaction of the judges (unanimous decision), a B.C. image.
To be considered The Earliest Known B.C. Picture Postcard, the postcard must carry a date related to usage. Ideally this will be a postmark. If the postcard has no postmark or if the postmark is not legible the judges may, at their discretion (unanimous decision), accept postcard marginalia such the sender’s handwritten date.
In order to claim their reward, the postcard’s owner needs to provide the VPC with a good quality scan of the postcard (both front and back) and grant the VPC the right to use the scan (with credit given to the owner) in both the Club’s newsletter and online.
The decisions of the VPC judging panel are final.
This search is open to both individuals and institutions.
May the oldest postcard win!
