Terms of Use

Last updated: February 2026

Welcome to Postcard Messages, operated by Postcard Messages LLC ("we," "us," or "our"). By accessing or using this website, you agree to these Terms of Use.

1. Purpose of the Archive

Postcard Messages is a cultural archive dedicated to preserving handwritten messages from historical postcards (primarily 1880-1929). Our mission is to transcribe, structure, and make accessible the written content on the backs of postcards that are in the public domain.

The writing is the product. We focus on the handwritten messages, not the reproduction or sale of postcard imagery.

2. User Contributions

When you upload content to Postcard Messages, you agree that:

• You are contributing the back image (the written side) of a postcard that you believe to be in the public domain or for which you have rights to share.
• You are not claiming copyright over the handwritten message content. Historical handwritten messages on postcards are generally not subject to copyright protection.
• You grant us a non-exclusive, perpetual license to store, display, transcribe, and make accessible your uploaded images for archival and educational purposes.
• Front images (if provided) are used for context only and will not be reproduced for commercial purposes.
• All uploads pass through a moderation queue before becoming publicly visible.

3. Provenance and Transparency

We take provenance seriously. Every meaningful edit to transcriptions and metadata is versioned with attribution. AI-assisted transcriptions are clearly labeled and remain human-reviewable and reversible.

4. Prohibited Uses

You may not:

• Upload content that infringes on others' rights
• Upload content containing private or sensitive personal information of living individuals
• Attempt to bulk-export transcriptions for commercial resale
• Use automated systems to scrape or harvest data from the archive
• Misrepresent the provenance or source of uploaded materials

5. Moderation

All submissions are reviewed before publication. We reserve the right to reject submissions that do not meet our public domain guidelines, contain inappropriate content, or otherwise violate these terms.

6. No Warranty

The archive is provided "as is." We make no guarantees about the accuracy of transcriptions, AI-generated metadata, or the public domain status of contributed materials. Users should verify information independently for research purposes.

7. Limitation of Liability

Postcard Messages LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of this service.

8. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

9. Contact

Questions about these terms? Contact us at [email protected].