When I was a child, one could still be impressed by the various ships anchored or in repair at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

The enormous construction and reconstruction site was developed around League Island, where the Schuylkill flows into the Delaware River.

Philadelphia was a ship-building city since the first navy vessels were constructed there in 1776.

The League Island base reached its zenith in the years following World War II.

This postcard photograph, published by the Post Card Distribution Co., was printed sometime around 1920.

It was mailed, with “Best Wishes”, to Master C.(?) Zillhardt of Reading, PA.

The young man on Lancaster Avenue in Reading may have been fascinated by large ships – as many other boys were.

The postmark is indistinct, but seems to have been mailed from the Reading Railroad terminal in Philadelphia.

Although some private ship-related businesses still exist near League Island, the area has been a business park owned by the City of Philadelphia since 2000.

One hopes that young Mr. Zillhardt enjoyed this memento of the vast enterprise in the harbor of Philadelphia.