Today we're going to look at the history of the postcard. Many people assume that postcards originated in Europe, but in fact, the first known postcard was issued in Austria in 1869. It was a simple card with a printed stamp, and it could be sent without an envelope. However, it wasn't until the 1890s that postcards became really popular in Britain, when the postal service allowed pictures to be added to the front. By 1902, the divided back was introduced, which allowed both a message and the address on the same side. This design is still used today.