Summary

'United We Stand' is a postcard from the Flags of the Empire, The "Classic" All British Series - no.16, card. no. 116, published by W.N. Sharpe Ltd., Bradford & London, probably during the Boer War. The postcard is in unissued condition.

Of particular interest is that Tasmania is shown as a separate entity of Empire, with its own flag.

The firm of W.N. Sharpe Ltd published a series of patriotic postcards spanning the years of the Boer, or South African War (1899-1902) and the First World War (1914-18). This particular card depicts the flags of various British colonies, and makes the interesting distinction between Tasmania and the mainland of Australia. Following the Boer War, Cape Colony remained nominally under British rule until the establishment of the Union of South Africa in 1910, at which point it was renamed the Cape of Good Hope Province or, more commonly, the Cape Province.

Although the postcard is unissued and not post-marked, depiction of the Cape Colony flag suggests a date pre-1910 making it most likely to date to the period of patriotism surrounding the Boer War.

Physical Description

Boer War patriotic postcard titled 'United We Stand' depicting the various flags of British colonies surrounding the central Union Jack. The colonial flags include Canada, New Zealand, Tasmania, Straits Settlements, Malta, India, Cape Colony and Australia. The postcard was published by W.N. Sharpe Ltd., Bradford & London.

Significance

Commercially printed Boer War patriotic postcard published by W.N. Sharpe, Bradford & London, Great Britain. Such postcards provide an interesting insight into issues of patriotism, nationalism and empire in the final years of the British Empire in the early twentieth century.

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