A recent feature in this pictorial series showcased how those earlier businesses that did not target the hospitality markets weaponised postcards to promote their trade.

The Crafts Village in Ta’ Qali housed various cottage industries. This postcard advertised the filigree works by Alfred Ciantar.

The House of Knights in the Crafts Village, Ta’ Qali, issued this card, postally used in 1982.

Malta stone crafted by Strata Designs ran their business in the Crafts Village at Ta’ Qali.

Peter the Potter’s handcrafts were produced in Ferris Street, Rabat, since 1938.

Hotels, restaurants, tour operators and other tourist-oriented activities by far account for the bulk of postcard publicity. But even other commercial and non-commercial genres sometimes resorted to promotion by postcard. This spread will take a cursory look at later advertising for non-hospitality activities.

Business postcard by marine warehouse run by Ripard Larvan & Ripard in Ta’ Xbiex.

A Perfecta card for Bristow Potteries, started by British owners, Maltese run since 1972.

A souvenir postcard by Is-Sienja water mill in Qormi.

Postcard by the Ardnael Filigree Works in Republic Street, Valletta.

By the time Independence had energised a major tourist boom, postcards intended for promotion had assumed a relatively standard format – in full colour, generally with ‘composite’ multiple photographic images rather than creative artwork, the name quite prominently displayed on the front and, occasionally, some info, mostly contact details, on the back.

Aġenzija Sedqa distributed these drug-awareness postcards after 1994.

Mount St Joseph Retreat House in Tarġa Gap. Mosta, promoted its activities through this postcard.

Non-commercial advertising ranged quite widely – witness some postcards publicising Mount St Joseph Retreat House in Tarġa Gap, Mosta, anti-drug abuse propaganda issued by Aġenzija Sedqa, founded 30 years ago in 1994, and that wonderous and unrepeatable vanity project, the Mystique complex, in Madliena, the dreams in bricks and mortar of the late visionary Marquis Joe Scicluna, now so sadly abandoned and vandalised.

Speak English, Think Mediterranean. A postcard to promote Malta's language schools. All postcards from the author’s collection.

The main Maltese postcard publishers saw to the major part of the production of these niche promotional tools instruments. These include established staples like the doyen of Maltese postcard publicity, David Moore, Perfecta Advertising, Anatlus (Wilfred Sultana & Associates Co. Ltd), and Vulcan Advertising. Many appear to be self-published or are identified only by the printers, like Interprint, Union Press, Penprint.

Compared to other mainstream ‘Having a wonderful holiday in Malta, weather really lovely, wish you were here’ postcards, rather few of these promotion cards can be found postally used. Those that survive were mostly kept as souvenirs or curios rather than used to send messages.