• Raphael Tuck postcard of the Life Guards in State Dress with British Museum marks and a 1944 wartime postmark. Artwork by Carfax. Postmark: July 8, 1944
  • Raphael Tuck postcard of the Life Guards in State Dress with British Museum marks and a 1944 wartime postmark. Artwork by Carfax. Postmark: July 8, 1944 Postcard Back with postage stamp.
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Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd.

The Band of the Life Guards in State Dress – Raphael Tuck & Sons “World’s Art Service” – British Museum Copyright – Postmarked 1944

The Band of the Life Guards in State Dress – Raphael Tuck & Sons “World’s Art Service” – British Museum Copyright – Postmarked 1944

$12.00 USD
$12.00 USD
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Low stock: 1 left

AT A GLANCE

Title:
"Band of the Life Guards in State Dress"
Publisher:
Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd.
Type:
Standard Size Postcard (3 ½” x 5 ½”)
Style:
Military pageantry | Museum art
Era:
Interwar Period (1918 – 1941)
Circa:
1930s–1944 (postmarked 1944)
Print type:
High‑grade chromo‑lithograph
Condition:
Good (G)
Postcard:
Museum Art Postcard
Location:
London, England, United Kingdom
Postmark:
Postally Used | Stamped | Message
Notes:
Series Marks: British Museum copyright stamp; “World’s Art Service” seal; Royal Warrant (“By Appointment”)

Museum-issued Raphael Tuck postcard featuring the Life Guards in ceremonial state dress.

Collector’s Note

Handsome collectible for admirers of British military pageantry, ceremonial cavalry, museum postcards, and Raphael Tuck publishing history. Cards from Tuck’s celebrated military and museum art series remain especially sought after for their rich chromolithographic printing, Royal Warrant associations, and enduring connection to early 20th-century British ceremonial tradition.

This richly colored Raphael Tuck & Sons postcard depicts “The Band of the Life Guards in State Dress”, showing Britain’s ceremonial mounted military musicians in full regalia. Produced as part of Tuck’s respected museum and military art series, the card carries the publisher’s hallmark “World’s Art Service” seal, British Museum copyright notice, and Royal Warrant designation identifying Tuck as official art publishers to the Royal Household. The reverse includes a printed historical note. 

Postmarked July 8, 1944 from Cincinnati, Ohio and mailed with a 1¢ USA Industry Agriculture for Defense postage stamp; now detached but retained with the card. Red cachet imprint reads: “Many Happy Returns of the Day.”

Good condition overall with bright color and strong visual appeal. Some surface paper loss is present along the right edge of the image area. Packaged in a protective postcard sleeve.

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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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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