A French law dated November 18, 1903 required that the address side of the postcard be divided into two parts, one for writing a message (Partie réservée à la correspondance) and one for the address (Adresse du destinataire). The two parts needed to be separated by two vertical lines. In 1904 a new regulation required the phrase "tous les pays étranger n'acceptent pas la correspondance au recto (se reinseigner à la poste)" to be printed on all cards; from 1904-1907 the address side was larger, and some of the message was often written on the front of the card. A law dated July 31, 1906 required that the divided back be in two equal parts.

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first posted 4/21/2010