Antique & Vintage Postcards

Staring out across four centuries with that unmistakable domed forehead and Jacobean ruff collar, William Shakespeare gazes from the title page of the 1623 First Folio — the book that saved his plays for posterity — in this sharp real-photograph postcard published by Jarrold & Sons of Norwich. The engraving, executed by young Flemish-born artist Martin Droeshout when he was barely 22 years old, remains the most reproduced portrait of any writer in history, and this RPPC captures every cross-hatched line of his copper plate with photographic precision. The First Folio — formally titled Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, Published according to the True Originall Copies and printed in London by Isaac Jaggard and Ed. Blount — survives in only about 235 known copies today, making even a postcard reproduction of its title page a charming piece of literary history. Jarrold & Sons, a distinguished Norwich printer and bookseller operating since 1823, produced this as part of their Shakespeare Birthplace series (SBP 102), likely aimed at visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon. The "Guaranteed Real Photograph" designation on the reverse confirms this is a true silver-gelatin RPPC rather than a halftone print, giving the portrait exceptional tonal depth.