Postcard, The Kaiser's Dream, Britain, 1914-1918
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1914-1918
This propaganda postcard caricatures Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, adapting the refrain of a popular song of the day to highlight the Kaiser's duplicity. Postcard in landscape format.
On the front: printed in red and black with a caricature of Kaiser Wilhelm II brandishing a peace treaty in one hand and a sword in the other, trampling on a figure representing Belgium and being assailed by figures representing Britain, France, Russia and Serbia (who is fighting with a figure representing one of Germany's allies - probably Austria). Lettered in black within the image with caption and below the image in red with title and in black with publisher's information. On the back: printed in black with postcard template, stamped in black with V&A Museum mark, numbered and inscribed in black ink and pencil.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
This postcard formed part of a group transferred from Photographs to Prints for accessioning. In the process of cataloguing them and releasing them from the boards onto which they had been mounted it was discovered some of the postcards had already been numbered with 1969 numbers (now noted in the 'other number' field as 'numbered in error').
When the Photographs accessions register for 1969 was consulted two unrelated groups of material with the same run of numbers was discovered. One of these groups, which included this postcard was credited as being 'Given by Mrs Harrington'. Registry could find no record of a donation from a 'Mrs Harrington'.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Letterpress in black and red
- Dimensions
- Height: 11.5 cm; Width: 13.7 cm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Stretford Road Publishing Company
- Place recorded
- Britain, Britain
Design
- Marks and inscriptions
- 'HE . DIDN'T . WANT . TO . DO . IT . AND . ALL . THE . TIME . HE . KNEW . IT / WHILST . ADVOCATING . FOR . PEACE . HE . WAS . PREPARING . FOR . WAR'; 'THE KAISER'S DREAM.'; 'STRETFORD RD. PUB CO. M/C / Printed in England / 55'; 'POST CARD'; (V&A Museum stamp); 125-1969 / X825; 'From small / box / labelled on / spine'
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London collection record for this single object (sentences kept verbatim apart from removed sale or rarity wording); how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Candidate id
- vam-O1175894
- Museum object name
- Postcard
- Holding institution
- Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Museum object number
- E.404-2008
- Museum system number
- O1175894
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and dating against a specialist reference; this entry documents one recorded example.