DATE: 20th Century

An... interesting... collection of death/memento mori/skeleton themed vintage postcards, the majority dating from the early to mid 20th Century. There are 54 cards in total, some have been written and posted (and can therefor be dated) and some haven't. They are mostly either French or German, and cover a range of macabre topics including: skeletons and skulls, mummies, catacombs, WW1, memento mori art and sculpture, wartime propaganda, political satire, etc. Some of them are really quite grim.

The earliest stamp I can make out is 1902, and there are some particularly interesting WW1 examples, including the bottom left in the second image presented here, which roughly translates as:

"The World History 1914/15 - The renegade, slanderous, greedy England is shattered by German self-sacrifice, contempt for death, simple loyalty - German moral heroism."

Sent to Fräulein Maria Hemmerle on 11th December 1915.

And a bizarre caricature of Wilhem II, with the words:

"Search in this head and you will find his qualities - his weapons: petrol and dum-dum - death - his friend Franz-Joseph - a pig and the German eagle - the cathedral of Reims - a parrot - a viper and Mephisto"

This one sent in 1915 too, with the message (in French): To loved ones, January 25, 1915. Still in good health.

There's also a series of three photographs depicting a nude woman holding a skull, labelled on the back "Moderne Künstler" - Modern Artist.

CONDITION 

Very good, each card is in an individual plastic sleeve