Antique & Vintage Postcards

The X-shaped iron towers of the legendary "Flip Flap" ride dominate the skyline of the 1911 Coronation Exhibition at White City, London — a mechanical marvel that swung counterbalanced gondolas 200 feet in the air to give Edwardian visitors a heart-stopping view over the capital. This striking color-illustrated cover (card no. 827) opens via a raised flap to cascade out a concertina of black-and-white photographic miniatures of the exhibition grounds: the Elite Gardens, The Garden Club, The Royal Pavilion, and other pavilion views — all labeled "Coronation Exhibition, London, 1911" and published by Valentine & Sons, Ltd. of Dundee and London. An unused example (back blank, "Half-Penny Stamp" box present but empty), this is a rare survivor of the short-lived 1911 exhibition, held at the same White City site as the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition to celebrate the coronation of King George V. The Flip Flap itself was demolished shortly after and exists today only in images like this one — making it a crossover collectible for amusement park historians, World's Fair enthusiasts, and Edwardian novelty card specialists alike.