Date of use : 19 February 1952, United States

Copy-Art Photographers Postcard, New York

This postcard represents a piece of commercial correspondence sent by a photographic studio known as Copy Art Photographers, located in New York City. The printed letterhead in the upper left corner reads "Copy Art Photographers, 165 West 46th Street, New York City." This inscription identifies the sender as a professional photographic service business operating in Manhattan. West 46th Street is situated in the Midtown district of Manhattan, an area that during the mid-twentieth century was known for hosting numerous commercial photography studios, graphic arts workshops, and advertising agencies. The location therefore suggests that the business was involved in commercial photographic production and visual reproduction services.

The term "Copy Art" was commonly used within the photographic industry to describe technical photographic services devoted to the reproduction of documents, artworks, and graphic materials. During the mid-twentieth century such studios frequently provided services for publishing companies, advertising agencies, museums, and archival institutions. These services included the photographic reproduction of artworks, the photographing of technical drawings, and the preparation of visual materials intended for printing processes. Studios of this type played an important role within the broader graphic arts and publishing industries that were particularly strong in New York City during this period.

The postcard is addressed to Kirk B. Shivell, Inc., a business located in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Ridgewood lies within the greater New York metropolitan region and has historically hosted numerous professional and commercial enterprises. Although detailed information about the specific activities of Kirk B. Shivell, Inc. remains limited, the use of a corporate name suggests that the recipient was a commercial client rather than an individual. Businesses such as this frequently relied on photographic studios for advertising materials, printed graphics, and corporate visual documentation.

The postal cancellation on the card indicates that it was processed in New York on February 19, 1952. This date places the item within a period of rapid expansion in commercial photography in the United States following the Second World War. During the post-war decades the growth of advertising, publishing, and mass media industries created increasing demand for photographic services. Improvements in film technology, printing methods, and offset reproduction processes further contributed to the industrialization of visual production. In this context, studios specializing in photographic reproduction services became essential intermediaries between creative production and printed media.

Another notable element visible on the postcard is the slogan cancellation reading "Build Your Future Wisely – Save U.S. Savings Bonds." Such slogans were widely used by the United States postal system to promote government savings bond programs, particularly during and after the Second World War. These postal slogans formed part of broader public campaigns encouraging citizens to support national economic initiatives through the purchase of government bonds. The postcard also bears a one-cent United States postage stamp depicting George Washington, a design commonly used in mid-twentieth-century domestic mail.

From a philatelic perspective, the postcard combines several historically significant features. It represents commercial stationery associated with a professional photographic studio, illustrating the everyday communication practices of businesses operating in the photographic industry. At the same time, the presence of a savings bond promotional slogan connects the document with broader governmental messaging campaigns transmitted through the postal system. The item also reflects the dense commercial networks that linked businesses across the New York metropolitan region.

From a collecting standpoint, this document can be associated with several thematic categories. It belongs to the field of commercial photographic studio correspondence and provides evidence of the business practices of mid-twentieth-century photography services. Additionally, it represents an example of United States postal history from the post-war period, including the use of promotional cancellation slogans. As an archival artifact, it also illustrates the role of photography within the wider economic and communication networks of the publishing and advertising industries.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
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