1930s British Real Photo Postcard – Glider with Express & Echo Sponsorship, Jerome Ltd.

Original black-and-white real photo postcard published by Jerome Ltd. (series 11 60), dating from the 1930s. The photograph depicts a sailplane on a grassy field, bearing the painted marking Express & Echo on its fuselage. Express & Echo was a regional newspaper in Exeter, Devon, and its sponsorship is indicative of the growing popularity and public support of gliding activities in interwar Britain.

The image shows the glider in profile with its long wingspan and single tailfin, while a tow car and driver are visible at left, highlighting the ground handling and launch methods of the period. The aircraft and field setting illustrate the grassroots nature of British gliding in the 1930s, when local clubs, organizations, and sponsors helped promote the sport.

The reverse remains unused and is marked with the Jerome Ltd. imprint, a known British postcard publisher.

This postcard is significant as it documents not only early British sailplane design but also the cultural and regional sponsorship ties that supported gliding during the interwar years. For aviation historians and collectors, it offers a valuable visual record of both the sport and its community connections.