1924 - The Advertising Postcard
Captain Noel was a marketing man ahead of his time. Having purchased the Expedition's photographic and cinematographic rights, he was committed to creating worldwide interest in the film that he was to make of the climb.
Based on an acknowledgment in the programme for Noel's film The Epic of Everest, it is likely that the Expedition cards were produced by the leading postcard publisher of the day, Raphael Tuck, and at least 40,000 were produced.
The first recorded mass mailing date for the Advertising Postcard is August 18th 1924, i.e. just over two weeks after the Expedition returned to Darjeeling. Later mass mailings continued until October 30th, when the last consignment was despatched from Calcutta.
Possibly the earliest recorded use of the advertising postcard - 4th July 1924, from Yatung.
The use of two Everest labels is very rare, as is the possibly unique combination of the Tractor Party cachet and the Base Camp cachet (usually applied in red).
It is also unlikely that any card sent from the expedition travelled further than New Zealand. The fact that it was such a long way for the card to travel perhaps motivated the sender (John Noel we presume) to give it special attention and make it unique.
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