This is not the grand Public Library building, funded by Andrew Carnegie, that was completed in 1913. The website of the Reading Public Library contains
I am posting this bit of political advertising as a sample of constituent services by a US Congressman circca 1910. Daniel Franklin Lafean was a
The Chronicle Mill was constructed along the Southern Norfolk Railway line in downtown Belmont in 1902. This construction was part of the wave of textile
When stuck in traffic on any of the “pikes” that radiate from Lancaster, PA, one might remember that each of these roadways was once a
Sometime around 1890, Dr. C. Monroe Crowell operated a Dental Parlor at the corner of East King and Duke Streets in Lancaster, PA. His lithographed
Mr. Elmer Oberholtzer was working in Orrville, Ohio in the Spring of 1910. (I have published another postcard from the Oberholtzer family collection of postcards.)
Mr. Norman Kropf lived in Spokane, a city in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River and adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains. In March of 1913,
Miss Hazel Kelly lived in Grand Rapids, the prosperous center of furniture manufacturing on the Grand River in west central Michigan. In April of 1916,
Miss Ella Von Stetton lived on Houston Street in Columbia, PA. Columbia was a transportation and commercial center on the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania.
Miss Margaret Bernhardt lived in Finderne, a populated place in central New Jersey. (In 1927, the post office in Finderne was closed.) In April of
Miss Grace Butler lived in Swan, a very small city in Marion County of central Iowa. The population of Swan reached its zenith in 1890
Robert was in New York City, and he seems to have an important job that required him to be “on duty”. We do not know
Mrs. B. H. Baker lived in Ashtabula Harbor, a neighborhood within the port city of Ashtabula on LakeErie. (Ashtabula is in the extreme northeast corner
Miss Mildred Adams lived in Peoria, now an unincorporated community in central Ohio. Peoria had a post office from 1872 -1967; in the early years
Mayme lived in New Salem, a city near Bismarck in south-central North Dakota. (New Salem has been a center of dairy production since its founding
This is a confusing postcard; the face proclaims, “Greetings from Vale, Oregon”, but the postmark is from Orth, Texas. The message on the reverse helps
Miss Ada Cobb was living in Brooklyn, the most populous borough of New York City. (Because Brooklyn had been an independent city, the use of
Mrs. Melissa Shelly lived in Davenport, a hamlet in central New York State. (Davenport is east of Otego and Oneonto which were noted in earlier
We met Hampton Pullis in an earlier postcard story; he had received a postcard greeting from his Uncle John. In January of 1911 Hampton was
This patriotic postcard featuring a battle of the Revolutionary War was presented to a schoolchild in Lancaster County, PA. (We met the student, Benjamin Stauffer,
There are six statues of Abraham Lincoln in Chicago, representing the enormous pride that the city expressed for the great man who built his political
The celebration of the tricentennial of the Pilgrim’s arrival in Massachusetts included the erection of a statue to Massasoit, great “Sachem of the Wampanoags”. The
Abraham Lincoln grew up as the son of a poor, subsistence farmer. Kentucky had no reason to claim him before his extraordinary political career and
Mr. Frank Zinkie lived in Aurora, a city in northeast Illinois, now within the Chicago Metropolitan District. In August of 1912, Frank received a postcard
In December of 1920, Frances was teaching school or attending school in Otego. Otega is a town in Otsego County, in central New York State.
In the early years of the twentieth century, Ansonia was an industrial powerhouse on the Naugatuck River – 12 miles northwest of New Haven. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansonia,_Connecticut
In 1775, John Andrew Shulze was born in the parsonage of the Lutheran Church near Stouchsburg, a Pennsylvania-German community of Berks County (now, Lebanon County)
Tunkhannock is a borough of Wyoming County in northern Pennsylvania, about 88 miles northwest of Allentown and 141 miles northwest of New York City. Once
The area of Mineral Springs, in Reading, has a fascinating history. A textile mill was established there in the very early 19th century, but it
From the beginning of the automobile age, Americans also embraced the “road trip”. Early automobile associations were founded to promote “Good Roads” – indeed, the
Before the age of railroads, canals were the engines of trade and economic growth. They were the first large-scale infrastructure investments in the United States.
Howard Krueger lived in Ripon, the city in south-east Wisconsin. In September of 1936, Howard received a postcard from close friends or family members who
Miss Ruth Hopper lived in Mulberry, a small city in southeast Kansas. The place was named for wild mulberries that once grew there. In May
This postcard is one of a series of postcard drawings depicting young lovers. Each one of the series shows a young man and young woman
Taunton was founded in 1637 by settlers from the Plymouth Colony; it is one of the oldest towns in the US. On land along the
Miss Bertha Fleming was in McKinney, a charming city about 32 miles north of Dallas, Texas. (I visited the historic downtown in McKinney some years
One of the glories of Pennsylvania is its history of offering refuge and sanctuary to religious nonconformists, dissenters, and visionaries of many kinds. Among the
Old Point Comfort is the extreme tip of the small peninsula that is the eastern extremity of Virginia. It was named for an incident involving
Eva was in Brooklyn, New York, when she sent a postcard to Miss Doris Farrell for New Year’s Day. Doris lived in Patchogue, a village
Mr. Charles C. Bigelow lived in Buffalo, New York. One suspects that Charles was employed in an office or performed some work requiring a typewriter.
Miss Flossie Flory lived in Topeka, the capitol city of the State of Kansas. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topeka,_Kansas On December 31, 1913, Flossie received a New Year’s Greeting
Mrs. George Furman lived in Great Bend, a town on the Susquehanna River in northeast Pennsylvania. Great Bend, named for a feature of the river,
Maude and Will spent “part of our Xmas” with friends outdoors; the group seems to be bathing or swimming. The occasion was memorialized with a
Florence Rumsey was the “school-ma’am” for a school in Minnesota. (I cannot decipher the postmark.) In January of 1912, she sent a postcard to Mr.
Mrs. G. I. Robinson lived in Marion, a city in east central Iowa. In February of 1909, Mrs. Robinson received a postcard from “Guess Who”
This charming quartet memorialized their woodland stroll with a postcard photograph. The postcard lacks any indication of place or time, or the identities of the
We met Watson Ryan in an earlier postcard story; he received a comic postcard related to the hen-pecked husband. Although I have postcards with different
Social histories of the early twentieth century often discuss the earnestness and optimism of these years. There seemed to be a quickening of desire and
This postcard photograph was mailed between two communities in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Miss F. Grace Bear lived in East Petersburg, and she was celebrating a
Miss Viola Deetz (Dietz?) had received the address of Mr. Alfred Mettetal (?) who was a member of a machine gun battalion at Camp Sherman.
Mr. Art Nelson lived in Fond du Lac, the city at the southern tip of Lake Winnebago in eastern Wisconsin. In February of 1910, Art
Babe was visiting Hallie in Milwaukee, and she remembered that she had not answered the last letter from her friends in California. Belle and Stuart,
We do not know exactly the age of Thomas Griffin, but the address suggests he was a boy and that he lived with his parents.
This is not a postcard, but another bit of memorabilia that has a remarkable story, Landis Valley is a small community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
This postcard was not mailed. The engraving of the horse-drawn sleigh was copyrighted by the “Illustrated Post Card & Novelty Company” of New York in
The World’s Fair of 1904, officially the “Louisiana Purchase Exposition”, opened in St. Louis in April of 1904. While the fair was intended to showcase
n December of 1908, Dudley sent a postcard to his friend, Miss Grace Zepp. The postcard was addressed to Westminster, Maryland, but stamped as “Received”
Miss Edith Michener lived in Solebury, a township on the Delaware River in eastern Pennsylvania. English Quakers were the first European settlers in this rich
This beautiful Christmas postcard was copyright by Sander and printed circa 1910. A Christmas verse, in ornate script, invokes “All Joy” and “All Blessings” on
Celia, Mrs. L. Reinhart, lived in Rudolph, Wisconsin. The Village and Town of Rudolph, located in central Wisconsin, have become a center of cheese-making. In
Miss Martha Van Zandt lived in Minooka, a village in northeast Illinois – 48 miles southwest of Chicago. The village was established when the railroad
Mrs. Marzella Allshouse lived in Brackenridge, a borough along the Allegheny River near Pittsburgh, PA. In 1930, there was a large glass-making industry in the
In November of 1918, Ma lived in Jonesville, a village in south-central Michigan. She mailed a postcard to Roy and Grace; Roy seems to be
This early souvenir postcard from Niagara Falls contains a surprising memorial to Captain Matthew Webb. Webb was born in 1848 to an English surgeon and
Mrs. Charles Kirby, “Susie”, lived in Baltimore, Maryland. In February of 1909, Mrs. Kirby received a postcard greeting from Miss Maggie. Miss Maggie lived on
Mrs. N. D. Wright was living in Detroit, Michigan when she received a postcard from a friend who was traveling through Norfolk, Virginia. I cannot
Anna Mary Mann was a student at the Prospect Hill School. Her teacher was George W. Gamble. Sometime around 1910, Mr. Gamble presented a postcard
Miss Florence Dahm lived in Kinderhook, a lovely town in the Hudson Valley of New York State. As the name suggests, the town was first
Perhaps the greatest monument to the skill, idealism, passion, and craftsmanship of the Late Medieval Period is found on the Ile de La Cite, in
This is an interesting postcard for several reasons: Charlie and May are visiting the area of Germany where Charlie grew up; the hand-coloring of the
The Rev. Aaron Burtis Hunter and his wife, Sarah Lothrop Taylor, were notable representatives of the Episcopal Church and distinguished for their collecting of antiquarian
Master Dalzell Hartman was less than two years old when he received a postcard at his home on North Duke Street in Lancaster. The postcard
A few days ago, we looked at an ink drawing of chickens that had been mailed to Spring Forge, PA. (“A Few Scratches”) Soon thereafter,
This comic postcard, showing the stages of life identified by the articles of clothing on a clothesline, was copyrighted in 1905 by the Bicknell Manufacturing
Huldah was beginning a new school year in Sparta, a village about ten miles north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She wrote to her friend, Elsie,
This comic postcard, depicting a tramp “driving” a dilapidated toy auto, was mailed to Mrs. Frank Oiler in August of 1909. Mrs. Oiler lived in
This postcard was not mailed. Because the card was printed near Leola, I assume that Bertha lived nearby. Leola is a “census-designated place” in central
Mr. Semons was in the army, and stationed at Fort Riley in north-central Kansas. The large Army Base had been established in the mid-19th century
Miss Blanche Overman lived in Wichita, the city on the Arkansas River in south -central Kansas. Now a center of airplane design and manufacturing (and
Columbia was an important transportation hub throughout the 19th century. When the state of New York opened the Erie Canal in 1825, and construction began
Views of the RR bridge at the old Water Works for Lancaster, PA are not rare, but I recently found this night view that I
In December of 1925, William Dutton received a postcard greeting at his home in Harrisburg, PA. The postcard was mailed from Norfolk, Virginia by Chas.
We may have forgotten that the blimp or zeppelin was once a contender as a mode of international travel, rivaling the airplane. The Empire State
I enjoy learning about the many photography studios that once operated in towns and cities across the country. This photographic portrait was made by “Wm.
In September of 1906, Aunt Sallie and “Chick” (?) were in Philadelphia “having a good time”. To celebrate the occasion, Aunt Sallie had a postcard
Sometime around 1910, Aunt Nellie sent a picture of a boy; the postcard photograph was probably enclosed in a letter- it was not mailed. On
In October of 1909, Miss Miriam Guhl was living in Florin, PA. Florin is a small community, northwest of Lancaster, that once boasted a stop
In June of 1907, Miss Mabel Hackman was living in Neffsville, Pennsylvania. At the time, Neffsville was a thriving village, much more than the place
Miss Clara Greer lived in Battle Creek, the city in south-central Michigan that had been a center of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and then the
John C. Bridgman was traveling through the West; he selected a postcard scene of the Colorado Rockies, wrote a message in Billings, Montana, and mailed
North of the city of Reading, near the Berks County towns of Hamburg and Lenhartsville, is an amazing geological formation. I learned about this place
There were appearances of two comets during the first half of 1910 which fueled a frenzy of interest in the night sky. The “Daylight Comet”
Miss Monira McIntosh lived in Rockland, the beautiful coastal city in southern Maine. In 1910, the railroads were bringing tourists to the area, diversifying the
Miss Louise Carlson lived in Erie, the port city on Lake Erie in northwest Pennsylvania. Louise was living with Mrs. Spiegel, but we aren’t made
Mr. And Mrs. Henry Goers were thrilled with their new baby, and they sent postcard announcements to their friends. The Goers family lived in Dundee,
Sometime in December of a year near 1910, Miss Bertha Myren received a postcard from her sister, Clara. Clara lived nearby, within the distance that
Mr. Volgarth Christensen was living in Akron – a growing industrial center in north east Ohio. In March of 1911, he celebrated his birthday. Volgarth
Roy Mill was living in Philadelphia, PA where he received a birthday postcard from his young nephew. In June of 1909, “Little Richard” was having
This long sliver of wilderness, along the Shenandoah River between ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, was created as a National Park by Franklin Roosevelt
For this hot Sunday in August, a refreshing view of Mount Eccles in southern Alaska. This peak is the highest in the range of mountains
Earlier postcard stories noted the role of the Fred Harvey restaurants and resorts in publishing postcard photographs of natural wonders. This “linen” postcard, circa 1935,
In 1932, Esther Groff traveled from Pennsylvania to her aunt’s home in Upland, California. On July 12, Esther sent a postcard to her friend, Mrs.
One is accustomed to seeing images of buffalo (or bison) across the Great Plains of the United States; we may forget how widely these large
Blue Bonnets of Texas -circa 1945 I made many business trips to Texas over the past 20 years, visiting Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Angelo
Miss M. Holman lived in Buffalo, New York. In December of 1931, Miss Holman received a Christmas postcard from friends in Canada. Joe and Jeannie
Mrs. J. Oliver lived in Hawleyville, an unincorporated community near Danbury in southeast Connecticut. At Christmas, in a year around 1910, Mrs. Oliver received a
In December of 1911, Miss Lila Hurst was living on the Ed McClain Ranch near Fallon, Nevada. Fallon is a city, south of the Carson
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Marsh had been living in Bellows Falls, Vermont. In December of 1922, a Christmas postcard sent to them there was forwarded
Miss Sarah Kelley lived in Spring Forge (now Spring Grove), a borough on the Codorus Creek in York County – between Hanover and York. This
This comic postcard was copyrighted in 1905 and published by J. Murray Jordan of Philadelphia. We met the publisher and the same three figures (photograph
This comic postcard was intended for Valentine’s Day – which suggests that the celebration of Romance and Love was not free of tension related to
It may be hard for us to imagine the financial insecurity that underlay most lives of the 19th century. Disease and accidental death could be
Ed Harrison was born in Ireland in 1886, but was working in California by the early 20th century. His ability to sustain long dives made
I found this tax notice at a postcard exhibit, and noted immediately that the amount paid was 57 cents. Having just paid (early) my 2020
This is the second (and last) of the advertising postcards celebrating margarine that I acquired this year. In the earlier postcard story, we considered how
I am an episodic consumer of magazines and journals; have been an erstwhile subscriber to “The Atlantic Monthly”, the “New Yorker”, “Harper’s”, “National Geographic”, “The
Miss Emma Smith lived in McGregor, a small city in central Texas, southwest of Waco. In December of 1910, Emma received a Christmas postcard from
For Veteran’s Day, a reminder of the citizens who resisted the depredations of a hostile army. On the placid green expanse of the Commons in
M.F. Sutter lived in Erie, the port city on Lake Erie in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania. In May of 1912, Mr. Sutter sent a
Mr. Melvin Lackley was visiting Harbert, a beautiful beach area on Lake Michigan – about 70 miles from Chicago. Melvin left his mother at home
Because most of them have disappeared, the sanitarium is not well-known to most people today. In the early 20th century, tuberculosis or “consumption” was a
Norfolk has been an important port city since the beginning of the 18th century; it hosts the largest naval base in the world and is
Gertrude Duff lived in Jersey City, a city on the Hudson River (west of New York City) in northeastern New Jersey. Gertrude exchanged postcards with
Mr. Felix Sturm lived in Viropa, an unincorporated coal town in Harrison County, West Virginia. The town is located in the northwest corner of the
It was still November of 1908 when Mr. G. V. Musser received a Christmas postcard from his friend, Vera McFarland. Vera, like Mr. Musser, lived
Benjamin Stauffer was born in 1900, so he was about 10 years old when he received the Christmas postcard from his cousin, Anna. We may
The only good thing that emerged from the Great Fire of London (September of 1666) was the improvement of streets and the erection of magnificent
“Camel Driver” is not an exact translation of “chamelier”; it might be better to say, “camel man”, as in the English word, “horseman”. I found
This hand-colored postcard was published by a firm (Valentine’s) in Dublin, circa 1910. The illustration is one of a series of scenes from Valentine’s, which
Bertha Esbenshade lived in Atglen, PA, a borough in Chester County. (This European settlement grew up along a trail made by the indigenous people of
(This image was first posted to another internet group on Christmas Day.) This postcard greeting was not mailed at Christmas, but it is a fitting
With the arrival of Autumn, many Protestant Churches planned a “Rally Day” to celebrate the beginning of the Sunday School year. Dick Brown lived in
This Sunday School card was published by the Sunday School Board of the Reformed Church which was located on Arch Street in Philadelphia. The illustrations
In February of 1905(?), Bessie Hill (Hile?) was in Orillia, Washington. Bessie sent a postcard to her friend, Josephine Resch, in Marietta, PA. The postcard,
Milford Logan lived in Royal Center, a town in northwest Indiana. The town was formed when the first railroads reached the territory in 1846. In
Mrs. Henry Fiedler lived in Winona, the lovely city on the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota. In 1910, hundreds of steamboats landed at Winona each
On Sunday, January 22, 1939, visitors (probably from Nogales, Arizona) mailed a postcard from Nogales, Mexico to celebrate their visit. (The reverse of the postcard
Young Charlie Zimmerman lived in Plumville, a small borough in a mountain valley about 62 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The community was named for an
Elwood was a conscientious nephew who remembered the birthday of Aunt Anna. For the occasion, Elwood selected an exceptionally well-made postcard, beautifully colored and gilded.
Dennis Sullivan lived in Paradise, the charming town in eastern Lancaster County, PA. Sometime around 1902, Dennis was given a postcard greeting; the face featured
In 1912, Franklin lived in Philadelphia; he sent Christmas greetings to his relatives. On Christmas Eve, Franklin mailed a Christmas postcard to his young cousin
Miss Bessie Weaver lived in Juniata County, a picturesque area of wooded Appalachian foothills and farms in central Pennsylvania. In December of 1922, Bessie received
Miss Mary Hallowell lived in Pendleton, a town in central Indiana. On December 23, 1907, Mary received a Christmas postcard from her old friend, A.
I have a large collection of postcards and greeting cards sent to Mary Reeser; her album of saved greetings was sold by a dealer in
Flossie Wager lived in Hancock, a town in the Taconic Mountains of western Massachusetts. (Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, there was a Shaker
I found an unusual postcard image of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Marietta. The image is not an hand-colored photograph, but an artist’s drawing. The
The Anglican Church was established by the crown in colonial Virginia, so it is not remarkable that the oldest church in continuous use in the
This phrase from “the Lord’s Prayer” reflects the longing and the aching of many people who hope to see the world set aright. I am
The oldest church in Richmond, this parish was formed from the consolidation of smaller parishes as the city replaced Williamsburg as the center of political
For Sunday, a reflection on saying Grace. The custom of giving thanks before meals, whether by invocation of the Deity or a general acknowledgement of
New Freedom is a community in southern York County, on the Mason-Dixon Line. It was originally called “Freedom” until the discovery of another town by
In 1916, Mr. Clayton Stehman was living at 528 South Queen Street in Lancaster. During September of that year, Anna was visiting the city of
Jerusalem, the city sacred to three monotheistic faiths, is pictured here in a postcard circa 1910. It is a sad indictment of human nature that
The artist, Gustav Richter, was born in Berlin in 1823. He studied there, and in Paris, and in Rome. (He died in Berlin in 1884).
In September of 1915, George Glick was living at 528 North Queen Street in Lancaster. George received a postcard from his Sunday School teacher, C.J.
To one raised in a conservative Protestant environment, the Roman Catholic devotional practices related to the veneration of the Virgin Mary and of the Saints
One of the significant changes in community life during my lifetime has been the sharp decline in weekly church attendance. Like membership in civic organizations,
Over the past few years, I have found at various antique stands several cards illustrating phrases of the “Lord’s Prayer”. Convinced that I could assemble
Several years ago, there was a popular book entitled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”. I don’t recall ever reading it,
This very thin and fragile paper was printed as an advertisement for Star Soap. The reverse has a familiar English bedtime prayer that most readers
For Ash Wednesday, I am posting another Sunday School lesson from the Reformed Church-this one published in 1901. If you were in Sunday School in
Because of the circumstances in which I acquired this postcard photograph, I believe that the location is Saxton, PA. Saxton, in Bedford County (south central
I am sure that every new parent is dazzled by the marvelous creature that is born into the family. This father is so young that
We cannot know what event was celebrated by this photograph, but it appears to be a family gathering on the porch. It may have been
Photographic portraits from Atlantic City are not rare; millions of visitors flocked to the shore each summer. Hundreds of thousands had photographs made at Boardwalk
It is very unfortunate that the two winsome children, whom I assume are a brother and sister, are not named. The picture appears to have
Sometime in the very early twentieth century, a group of young women celebrated their outdoor picnic by making a picture postcard. The picture is not
Three friends were captured in a photograph about 1910. The women are standing with linked arms in front of a structure with wooden siding. Each
Mrs. S. Bell lived in New Castle, Ohio, an unincorporated community in eastern Ohio. New Castle is close to the Ohio River and the border
Sometime around 1915, two young women had a photographic portrait made at the studio of the Eastern Photo Post Card Company in Kansas City. (It
The city of Harlowton lies on the Musselshell River on a high plain between the mountains of central Montana. It was an ancient hunting ground
This postcard photo was taken at an unknown location on a specific date, May 9, 1925. A thoughtful person recorded the names of “Alma +
Postal regulations permitted the mailing of unusual and odd-shaped items in the early 20th century. In the past year, I have found a few hand-made
It was the birthday of Mrs. Kate Moyer of Adamstown. Adamstown is in northern Lancaster County, very close to the border of Berks County. On
In the early twentieth century, hand-crafted postcards were constructed of a variety of materials and sent through the mail. I have posted samples of hand-painted
In May of 1915, Mrs. Harrison Baker (Ellie?) lived in Salunga, a community west of Lancaster, PA. Mrs. Baker received a postcard from her sister,
This postcard photograph was made by the Penn Park Studio which operated at locations in York and in Hanover. Sometime around 1910, a group of
“A normal school is an institution created to train high school graduates to be teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum.,,”(Wiki)
I recently acquired a postcard photograph, circa 1910, of a stylish young woman wearing a broad-brimmed hat with a tassel. An admirer of hats, although
Like motivational posters of the late 20th century (or the inspirational memes of today), mottos and quotations were popular themes of postcard illustration in the