Red roses in applied relief, Seattle, WA, 1901

About this postcard

Two open red roses with buds and stems stand out from a grainy green ground, the blossoms built up in raised, glossy relief rather than printed flat. The surface catches light like satin, giving the card a dimensional, almost handmade look typical of the novelty floral cards sold in the early 1900s as keepsakes and inexpensive correspondence. The card was mailed to Seattle in 1901, when the city was a fast-growing Pacific port still rebuilding its downtown after the 1889 fire and outfitting ships bound for the Klondike. No message was written inside; the flowers carried the sentiment on their own.