• King of Rex Mardi Gras NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Vintage Linen Postcard Circa 1939
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Genuine Curt Teich

1947 King of Rex Mardi Gras Linen Postcard New Orleans LA Curt Teich Colortone

1947 King of Rex Mardi Gras Linen Postcard New Orleans LA Curt Teich Colortone

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Low stock: 1 left

AT A GLANCE

Title:
"King of Rex, Mardi Gras, New Orleans, La."
Publisher:
Genuine Curt Teich | C.T. Art Colortone Chicago, IL
Type:
Standard Size Postcard (3 ½” x 5 ½”)
Subject:
Mardi Gras parade, King Rex
Style:
Festival ephemera | Travel advertising
Era:
Wartime & Early Post-War America (1940–1949)
Circa:
1947 (postmarked)
Print type:
Lithographic print (linen finish)
Condition:
Good (G)
Color:
Color (highly saturated)
Postcard:
Linen
Location:
New Orleans, Louisiana USA
Postmark:
Postally Used | Messaged
Notes:
Curt Teich card #9A-H951 | A. Hirschwitz distributor | WWII savings slogan cancellation

Colorful 1940s Mardi Gras parade linen postcard featuring the King of Rex in New Orleans.

Collector’s Note

A desirable example for collectors of Mardi Gras memorabilia, New Orleans history, festival ephemera, and Curt Teich linen postcards. By the 1940s, colorful linen postcards like this became popular souvenirs for tourists attending Carnival festivities, helping spread the imagery and mythology of New Orleans Mardi Gras across the country during the golden age of American travel postcards.

This vivid 1947 linen postcard captures the King of Rex atop an elaborate shell-shaped Mardi Gras float, surrounded by costumed attendants and mounted escorts. The richly saturated colors and textured linen finish showcase the bold graphic appeal of mid-century American souvenir printing.

Printed by Genuine Curt Teich as part of the C.T. Art Colortone series (Card #9A-H951) and distributed by A. Hirschwitz of New Orleans, this postcard documents the height of postwar Mardi Gras tourism. The reverse identifies the scene as the King's float arriving at City Hall to receive the symbolic keys to the city before the evening royal festivities and visit to the Court of Comus.

Historical Note

Rex, officially the “King of Carnival,” was created in 1872 to help organize Mardi Gras celebrations and welcome visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich to New Orleans. The krewe established many traditions still associated with Mardi Gras today, including the official carnival colors and ceremonial royal court structure.

The Krewe of Rex remains one of the most influential organizations in New Orleans Mardi Gras history. Rex introduced many of the celebration’s enduring traditions, including the official carnival colors of purple, green, and gold, elaborate royal pageantry, and the famous doubloon souvenir coins collected by generations of Mardi Gras attendees.

Postmarked January 10, 1947, this card features a patriotic cancellation slogan: "Save the Easy Way — Buy U.S. Bonds Payroll Savings." The handwritten message and postal markings authenticate the immediate postwar period. 

Front remains in excellent display condition with strong color and light general handling wear. Reverse shows discoloration, spotting, possible old glue residue, and water staining concentrated near the corners and edges. Packaged in a protective postcard sleeve.

Just a quick heads‑up: the photos reveal details far better than text alone, so they’re worth a close review.

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Postcard Eras & Collecting Guide

  • Real Photo Postcards (c. 1890–1945)

    Early printed lithographs and Real Photo Postcards (RPPC) offer rich historical detail, documenting towns, events, family portraits, and everyday life. Disaster postcards depicting floods, fires, train wrecks, and other catastrophic events, were a popular way to share news as photographs could quickly be turned into postcards. Many RPPCs are scarce and unique due to their small‑batch production.

    Browse Real Postcards 

  • Pre-Linen Litho & Linen Postcards (c. 1907–1950)

    Pre‑Linen Litho cards (c. 1907–1929) were printed using smooth chromolithography and tinted halftone methods, producing soft, painterly views before the textured linen era. Linen postcards (c. 1930s–1950s) introduced high–rag‑content paper with a woven surface and bold saturated colors that reflected the optimism postwar travel culture. Together, these eras showcase the shift from early color printing.

    Browse Pre-Linen Litho and Linen Postcards 

  • Chrome Postcards (c.1939–)

    Chrome postcards, introduced in 1939, feature glossy surfaces, vivid color, and photographic imagery made possible by modern color film processes. The term “chrome” derives from Kodachrome, Eastman Kodak’s groundbreaking color film. Mid‑century examples depicting motels, highways, city skylines, national parks, and tourist destinations are collected for their documentation of postwar American travel and roadside culture.

    Browse Chrome Postcards