{"product_id":"1919-1922-cuba-personal-postcard-archive-ernestina-rafael-castro-6-antique-handwritten-cards","title":"1919–1922 Cuba Personal Postcard Archive – Ernestina \u0026 Rafael Castro – 6 Antique Handwritten Cards","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA remarkable small archive of six antique postcards connected through the names Ernestina and Rafael Castro and preserved from early 20th-century Havana, Cuba.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDating from approximately \u003cstrong\u003e1919 through 1922\u003c\/strong\u003e, the postcards combine hand-colored photographic imagery with handwritten personal messages, greetings and dedications. Rather than six unrelated postcards, the group preserves fragments of correspondence associated with the same people over several years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral cards are addressed to \u003cstrong\u003eErnestina\u003c\/strong\u003e, while others are addressed to \u003cstrong\u003eRafael Castro in Havana\u003c\/strong\u003e, creating an unusually personal surviving group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne postcard dated \u003cstrong\u003e1919\u003c\/strong\u003e bears a handwritten dedication to Ernestina from Rafael:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Pequeño recuerdo a mi Ernestina de su Rafael.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother New Year postcard from the same period is also addressed to Ernestina and signed Rafael.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther cards in the archive continue the connection with \u003cstrong\u003eRafael Castro, Habana\u003c\/strong\u003e, including dated examples from the early 1920s. One particularly evocative message dated \u003cstrong\u003eJune 18, 1922\u003c\/strong\u003e addresses Rafael and refers affectionately to him as the writer's father, adding another layer to the family correspondence represented by the group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fronts feature the elaborate photographic and hand-colored imagery popular during the period: elegantly dressed couples, women and children, flowers, New Year greetings and sentimental family scenes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral retain visible publisher or series markings and numbers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eA small Cuban family story preserved on paper\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaken together, the postcards provide something that individual cards cannot: a glimpse into private life in \u003cstrong\u003eHavana during the years following World War I\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNames repeat. Messages change. Years pass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat began as affectionate correspondence involving Ernestina and Rafael is followed by cards addressed to Rafael and carrying family greetings. Although the complete identities and relationships of the correspondents have not been independently established, the surviving inscriptions preserve a tangible personal connection between the cards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor collectors of \u003cstrong\u003eCuban social history, postal history, antique photography and personal ephemera\u003c\/strong\u003e, the handwritten correspondence is as significant as the imagery itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIncluded\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6 original antique postcards\u003c\/strong\u003e, sold together as one archival group.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDates and inscriptions represented in the collection include examples from \u003cstrong\u003e1919, 1921 and 1922\u003c\/strong\u003e, together with additional related period cards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginal antique condition with expected age-related wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe postcards show varying degrees of edge and corner wear, surface rubbing, toning, spotting and small areas of image loss consistent with their age and handling. Several contain extensive original handwriting on the reverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe handwriting, dates, names and other period markings have been intentionally preserved and form an important part of the historical character of the collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease examine all photographs carefully for exact condition. \u003cstrong\u003eThe six postcards shown are the exact pieces offered and are sold together as one group.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":".","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50538199613683,"sku":null,"price":80.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0847\/0675\/4803\/files\/7.jpg?v=1787760569","url":"https:\/\/collexcion.com\/products\/1919-1922-cuba-personal-postcard-archive-ernestina-rafael-castro-6-antique-handwritten-cards","provider":"Collexcion ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}