Old Postcards, Corfu

We tend to think that Corfu tourism began in the 1950's or 1960's, but I was surprised to find these old postcards in Dorchester Market. One of them is postmarked British Post Office Smyrna, May 1909, and the British stamp is overprinted LEVANT.

Some background about the British Levant Post Office

More background:

The History of Turkish Postal Stamps

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu Dönemi:

"The Ottoman Empire reached its furthest extent in 1648 when its sultan ruled from the gates of Vienna to the Persian Gulf and included within his dominions the coasts of North Africa and the Black Sea. Only a decisive defeat in Malta had blocked the way still further west. After defeat at the hands of Catherine the Great of Russia decline was continuous from 1774 to the end of World War I. By the time of the first stamp issue (1863) the Ottoman Empire still comprised most of the Balkans (except southern Greece) as far as the Danube, and much of the Near East. Successive issues, therefore, were used in an ever-contracting area as territories were lost.

Postal History:
The earliest Turkish handstamps known date from 1840 and it is probable that only an official service operated between provincial capitals before this time. The right to organize services of couriers was granted to Russia in 1720 and to Austria in 1739. Both set up a P0 in Istanbul in 1748. Britain, France and Italy had all established posts in the Turkish Empire before 1840. Until 1914 most mail leaving the Empire was sent by one or the other.

The right of resident foreigners to run their own postal services grew from the 'Capitulations'. These were extra-territorial rights negotiated by treaties for the purposes of trade since 1535. Capitulations were abrogated on 9 September 1914 and foreign POs were closed down. Capitulations were restored between 10 August 1920 and 24 July 1923 and some foreign POs were re-opened".