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Daddy is in Holland – 1937

Helen and Esther Lineaweaver may have missed their father, who was in Europe during the summer of 1937. The sisters lived in Campbelltown, an unincorporated

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Drifton Coal-Breaker

Vanished Businesses -circa 1910 Reflecting on the temporary closure of business and industry during the pandemic, I happened upon a postcard depicting an important industry

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The Welcome Stream

John Henry Sends “Welcome Stream” – December 27, 1912 In 1912, Miss Anna Weidman lived on Spruce Street in Lititz. On December 27, Anna received

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The Octoraro – 1906

Several months ago, I posted a beautiful, hand-colored photograph of the Conestoga River that was on a postcard mailed to Bertie Kilbough in Peters Creek,

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The Train in the City

The Train in the City – Carlisle, PA (circa 1920) These postcard images of trains are often posted with feelings of regret that rail connections

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A Truss Bridge Near Ephrata

A Truss Bridge Near Ephrata, PA I found an uncolored postcard photograph of a “Rural Scene Lancaster County, Penna.” The photograph shows horses pulling a

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“We Are All Well”

“We Are All Well” – York Springs, PA (1909) Miss Alice Cleaver lived in York Springs, now a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, not far

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Flossie Goes to the Opera

Flossie Goes to the Opera – Alliance, Ohio (1907) In November of 1907, Flossie Farmer was busy in Alliance, Ohio. Flossie sent a postcard to

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Two Calves for Father

Two Calves for Father – Corinth, NY (1911) In August of 1911, Allie wrote to her father from Gloversville, NY., a small city in the

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Evelyn Writes to Grandma

Evelyn Writes to Grandma – Hametown, PA in 1910 This postcard traveled between two towns in York County, PA in the summer of 1910. Evelyn

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Puppies for Ernest

Ernest Receives Puppies from His Uncle – Christiana, PA (1908) Yesterday, according to Facebook, was National Dog Day. In October of 1908, young Ernest Chambers

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A Brace of Setters

A Brace of Setters – Cresswell, PA (1908) Cresswell, Pennsylvania is a small, unincorporated community in western Lancaster County. It lies east of the high

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La Vache Echappe

La Vache Echappe – Dresden, circa 1910 This beautiful example of postcard art was printed in Dresden (Germany) about 1910. I believe it was published

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The Winding Stream

“The Winding Stream” – Kennet Square (1906) For the Equinox, a nice example of postcard art illustrating the beauty of late Summer and early Fall.

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The Pet Chicken

The Pet Chicken (1906) Sometime around 1906, Olive Bealler received a handsome postcard print of a child with a pet chicken. We are not given

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Boys at Play

Boys at Play – Millstadt, Illinois (1908) Young Edmund Harnish was living in the big city of St. Louis when he received a postcard from

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Rock Candy

Rock Candy – Brooklyn (1894) At the turn of the 20th century, the Brooklyn waterfront was lined with industrial plants. Only in 2014 was the

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Love’s Alarm

“How Could I Suffer Love’s Alarms…” (circa 1910) For many years, I avoided postcards that appeared overly sentimental or “sappy”. I have seen hundreds of

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A Valentine for Mr. Burger

Ada Sends a Valentine to Mr. Burger – Etters, PA, 1908 This romantic tale straddles the Susquehanna River in south central Pennsylvania. Ada lived in

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Sickness and Sale

Sickness and Sale Mrs. Fenstermaker Hears Bad News from Her Son -1911 (This collection has several postcards from the Fenstermaker family.) This postcard is from

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The Great Flood of Dayton

The Great Flood of Dayton – March, 1913 Dayton, in southwest Ohio, lies at the juncture of three tributary rivers flowing into the Great Miami

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Explosion in Washington Boro

Explosion in Washington Boro – 1907 Beginning in the 1890’s, some homes and businesses were lit by acetylene lamps. Before home electrification was common, acetylene

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Nashville – 1922

Nashville – Shopping in 1922 I spent a lot of time in Nashville during the early years of the 21st century, and I have many

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Threshing with Horses

Threshing with Horses – Orillia, Washington (circa 1905) In February of 1905(?), Bessie Hill (?) was in Orillia, Washington. Bessie sent a postcard to her

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The Underground Rathskeller

The Underground Rathskeller – Cleveland, Ohio (circa 1940) Throughout the Midwest, wherever the Germans settled (later, the Poles, the Czechs, and others), there were beer

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Middlesex Fells

Middlesex Fells – 1907 Like New York City, Boston protected its fresh water reservoirs with a large nature preserve north of the city. The Middlesex

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Grace Visits Asbury Park

Grace is spending the Summer at Asbury Park – 1908 Asbury Park, the small city on the New Jersey shore, was developed by entrepreneurs from

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Mary Sends a Box of Oranges

Mary Sends A Box of Oranges – Elizabethtown, PA (1914) From the early 20th century, one can find an abundance of memorabilia celebrating the tropical

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Annie Writes from Attleboro

Annie Sends Greetings from Attleboro, Mass. (1907) Annie Jette lived in Attleboro, a city in southern Massachusetts, closer to Providence, Rhode Island then to Boston.(Attleboro,

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The Valentine Skater

The Valentine Skater -1926 On February 12, 1926, Vera Wenzel sent a postcard valentine to her teacher, Miss Verna Graybill. Miss Graybill had been ill,

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Clementine at New Year

Clementine Wisner in the New Year – 1907 Miss Clementine Wisner lived in the first block of North Mulberry Street, not far from the famous

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The Conowingo Dam

The Conowingo Dam – circa 1950 The Conowingo Dam is the third of the three great hydro-electric dams on the lower Susquehanna. Constructed between 1925

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Keller’s Mountain

Keller’s Mountain near Lititz I was unaware of a Lancaster County topographical feature by this name until seeing a postcard photograph, circa 1906. The photograph

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A Comic Postcard to Walter

A Comic Postcard to Walter. – Elkhorn, Wisconsin (1906) This is another light- hearted postcard that has a sorrowful aftermath. In April of 1906, Walter

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The Swannanoa River

The Swannanoa River – North Carolina (circa 1935) The Swannanoa River arises near Black Mountain, NC and flows westward through a picturesque valley to Asheville,

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The Guadaloupe Range

The Guadeloupe Range of West Texas and New Mexico – circa 1940 As much of the nation is blanketed by snow and freezing rain, I

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You Nut!

You Nut! 1916 Ray Peterson of Cannon Falls, Minnesota had been away, visiting the brother of E. Miller; Ray received belatedly the postcard sent by

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Great Games in York

“Great Games in York” – circa 1910 I believe that this is a comic card, picturing a card shark luring pedestrians to a rigged game.

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The Comic Drunk

The Comic Drunk – 1919 This comic postcard from the era of the first World War reminds us how views of public intoxication have changed.

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The Cornwall Cousins

The Cornwall Cousins – circa 1910 Wes Cornwall and William B. Cornwall were cousins. Sometime around 1910, they shared a visit, and celebrated their time

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Ezra Hartman of Reading

Ezra Hartman of Reading – circa 1910 It never fails; soon after finding one photograph from a studio previously unknown to me, I find a

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The Gipe Family of York

The Gipe Family of York – circa 1915 Sometime around 1915, Jacob and Minnie (Mundis) Gipe had a family portrait made at the Pen Park

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Flora Hays of York

(NOTE: Alert readers noted that this is Flora Hays Grim.) Sometime around the turn of the twentieth century, Flora Hays sat for a photographic portrait

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Reverend Summerfield

Rev. Summerfield – circa 1910 I have several postcard photographs of clergymen; most of them show the placid features of a calm and scholarly man.

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Clarence and Alice

Although snow fell during the night on parts of the east coast, I don’t believe there was sufficient accumulation to permit sleighing. It would be

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Grandma Alger

Grandma Alger – circa 1910 There is a trace of a smile on the face of Grandma Alger as she sits with her children and

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Santa Margherita Ligure

Santa Margherita Ligure – Italy, circa 1936 This municipality (“commune”) lies on the Italian riviera in northwest Italy. After centuries of invasions by Mediterranean pirates,

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Locarno

Locarno Circa 1935 For Sunday, a restful view of Lake Maggiore at Locarno. Locarno is a small city at the foot of the Swiss Alps,

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The Sorbonne

View of the Sorbonne For Bastille Day, a vintage postcard scene from France. The sepia-toned photograph of Paris, with an ornamental fountain and distant view

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Zeppelin Over Lake Lucerne

The Zeppelin over Lake Lucerne – 1911 It seems that Katie visited Switzerland in 1911; her signature appears on a souvenir postcard presented to Mr.

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The Durer Haus

The Durer Haus in Nuremberg (circa 1910) Albrecht Durer, perhaps Germany’s most famous artist, purchased a house in Nuremberg in 1509 and resided there for

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Salzburg

Salzburg, Austria – circa 1910 There are places in the world of such beauty that one hopes to visit again and again. One of these

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The Frauenkirche

The Frauenkirche of Munich – circa 1908 For this Sunday, a postcard photo of an unusual European church that I visited many years ago. In

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Neueschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle -circa 1910 The profile of this modern castle is recognized throughout the world and has become beloved, although the construction is a jumble

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Charlotte Flirts by Mail

In September of 1915, Charlotte sent a postcard from Elizabethtown to Mr. John Buchmoyer of Manheim. The hand-colored photograph shows a well-dressed suitor bending over

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Spooning in Smoketown

Suggestive comic postcards were common in the early years of the 20th century. Enterprising printers could order blank templates and add the name of the

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The Lady in Red

The Lady in Red – 1911 Cousin Nellie lived in the hamlet of Shushan, a small community (with an historic covered bridge) in east central

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Ida Writes from Assisi

Ida Writes from Assisi – 1922 On a Sunday during the pandemic, it is refreshing to think about Ida’s visit to Assisi in June of

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Late Autumn

Late Autumn – circa 1905 This postcard is a companion illustration to the postcard featuring an Autumn scene of golden fields and colorful trees. Both

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Early Autumn

Autumn – German American Novelty Company circa 1905 In earlier posts, I have referred to the German American Novelty Company which published some of the

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The Art Postcard to Mankato

The Art Card to Mankato – 1909 This is an exceptionally- beautiful postcard, unfortunately worn by time and careless storage. The face has three different

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The Allegory of War

The Allegory of War – Grottger, circa 1910 I have not published many museum cards, the reproductions of art works that can be purchased by

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Swift’s Premium Meat

It is interesting to note how large food companies have promoted their health, safety, and quality procedures through the early 20th century. Many advertisements for

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The Purina Feed Man Cometh

In April of 1909, an enterprising feed salesman took advantage of the popularity of postcard photographs to enhance his business. The salesman, a Mr. Mosher

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Red Lion

In October of 1914, Mrs. Matilda Shoff of Red Lion (Route I) received a postcard from her son, Christ. Christ and his family had moved

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Market Square, Manheim

Market Square, Manheim, circa 1920 This hand-colored postcard photograph was made about 1920. The postcard, not mailed, was printed by N.A. Trimmer of Lititz and

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East King Street

This hand-colored photograph shows East King Street in Lancaster, PA. Taken from the location of the Courthouse, the view extends westward toward Penn Square. The

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Roses to John Herr

In February of 1907, John Herr received a postcard from an unknown correspondent in Lancaster, PA. The postcard displays a bouquet of roses and is

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Wooden Shoes

Wooden Shoes from Holland, Michigan – 1942 In the 1840’s, a number of Dutch immigrants settled in western Michigan and the settlers became the dominant

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The Reineberg Boot Shop

The Reineberg Boot Shop in York, PA – circa 1915 Members of the Reineberg family operated shoe stores in York for more than a hundred

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Barry & Zecher

Paper memorabilia can lead one into all kinds of interesting areas. Here is an advertising postcard, circa 1910, for the Barry & Zecher Company. There

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Remember the Sabbath

Remember the Sabbath – circa 1910 I love Sunday mornings, often the most quiet and peaceful hours of the week. In New York, my apartment

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Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Lead Us Not Into Temptation – circa 1910 For this Sunday, another illustration of a phrase from the “Lord’s Prayer”. This phrase is problematic, theologically,

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A Primitive Angelus

In 1914, Katie Kramer lived near Mount Joy. In December of that year, she received a postcard from her friend, Anna, in Middletown. Anna typed

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Marriage Is Hard

Marriage is a Hard Way – 1906 One can find many postcards from the early 20th century that reflect on marriage and marriage roles. Some

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Life Overtakes Art

Life Overtakes Art – circa 1910 The naive artist, standing in the meadow to paint a picture of a bull, is forced to flee when

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Summering in Mount Gretna

Summering in Mount Gretna – 1910 I have posted several postcard stories related to the beautiful town of Mount Gretna. This postcard photograph of the

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Harrisburg At Night

Night Scene in Harrisburg – circa 1950 Many years ago, I visited Harrisburg regularly; I took graduate courses at the old Armory when Temple University

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Mount Joy – 1907

In March of 1907, John Smeltzer was staying at the Hotel Calvert in Snow Hill, Maryland. (Snow Hill, a community of about 1800 persons in

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Morning in Pennsylvania

Morning in Pennsylvania – 1935 On a bright morning like today, this postcard seemed appropriate. The postcard is interesting both for the pleasant view of

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Nettie Visits Lancaster

Nettie Visits Lancaster – 1924 I found this postcard, sent by “Nettie” from Lancaster, delivered to Elva Beck in Lewisburg. The month and date are

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Birthplace of Joseph Heister

Birthplace of Joseph Heister – Fifth Governor of Pennsylvania I confess that, despite my mandatory High School course in Pennsylvania history, I did not recall

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