Today another jaunt into ephemera. You know those vintage postcards with the big tacky letters spelling out a place name, each filled with pictures? I have to admit, growing up I thought those were just made-up, simply kitschy takes on past trends. I still find it amusing that they're absolutely not. They were a big thing for a long time--every random, tiny little American town had one. Like much of the popular art summarily dismissed as kitsch, their tackiness to modern eyes and adherence to format conceals a variety of individual takes and creative flair.
Also, they're just fun.
Postcards from the mid-20th C, drawn from the endlessly rewarding postcard collection of the Boston Public Library.
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Ashbury Park, N. J. Source
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Galveston, Texas. Source
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Spokane, Washington. Source
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The "Ole Southwest." Source
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Wahpeton, North Dakota (in 1950, this town had all of 5000 people). Source
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Chicago. Source
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Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Source
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Oakland, California. Source
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Coney Island. Source
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Manhattan Beach. Source
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Detroit. Source
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Nantucker, Massachusetts. Source
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Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Source
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The White Mountains, New Hampshire. Source
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Tucson, Arizona. Source
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Union, New Jersey. Featuring on and off ramps! Source
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The Scenic Northwest. Source
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Even the UN got in on it. Source
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Pennsylvania. Source
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Seattle. Source
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New York, New York. Source
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Altoona, Pennsylvania. Source
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Erie, Pennsylvania. Source
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Atlantic City. Source
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Bangor, Maine. Source
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Portland, Oregon. Source
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Winchester, Virginia. Source
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Orlando, before all the tourist attractions we now know it for. Source
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Salt Lake City. Source
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Sarasota, Florida-- "The Air Conditioned City"! Source
3 comments:
These are great - my sister and I used to try and find postcards of freeway interchanges - it seemed so weird. I see at least one of these cards has the freeway interchange in one of the letters!
I also have a passion for the past. Not sure why, but I find the fashions and culture fascinating. I particularly like the Victorian and Edwardian eras, but also the 1920s. I like visiting antique stores and buying old photographs. I enjoyed browsing your site.
Just discovered your wonderful blog...hope you don't abandon it!
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