Postcards From All 50 States
October 18, 2011 5:56 AM Subscribe
I love how the site design is as quaint as the content.
posted by griphus at 6:12 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by griphus at 6:12 AM on October 18, 2011
The Boston Public Library has an enormous collection of old postcards up on their Flickr site.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:30 AM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by backseatpilot at 6:30 AM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I like how the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street in Philly was called simply the "Philadelphia Flag House." I wonder when they started associating it by name with Betsy Ross?
posted by three blind mice at 6:35 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by three blind mice at 6:35 AM on October 18, 2011
I was able to identify one of the "location unknown" postcards and whip off an email to the site owner so I feel like my work is done for the day.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:55 AM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:55 AM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I like how the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street in Philly was called simply the "Philadelphia Flag House." I wonder when they started associating it by name with Betsy Ross?
There is probably a fair amount of that. One of the Maryland postcards lists a road that does not exist any more, presumably because it was renamed (from Chain Bridge Road to The Clara Barton Parkway).
posted by OmieWise at 6:57 AM on October 18, 2011
There is probably a fair amount of that. One of the Maryland postcards lists a road that does not exist any more, presumably because it was renamed (from Chain Bridge Road to The Clara Barton Parkway).
posted by OmieWise at 6:57 AM on October 18, 2011
But it is interesting. I think we tend to think of things like road names as static, when they are actually reasonably changeable. There's a great scene in one of the early episodes of Homicide where Daniel Baldwin and Andre Braugher are driving, and Baldwin refers to the road they're going to as [whatever it used to be called], when it's now named MLK Avenue. Braugher gets rightly offended, but Baldwin protests that he just uses the old name because he's from the neighborhood and that how he remembers it. It's an interesting moment in a great show.
posted by OmieWise at 7:03 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by OmieWise at 7:03 AM on October 18, 2011
This is half a block from my house. The park it still there but the lake has been turned into more of a duck pond. Here's almost the same shot taken recently.
posted by octothorpe at 7:09 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by octothorpe at 7:09 AM on October 18, 2011
I like how the Betsy Ross House on Arch Street in Philly was called simply the "Philadelphia Flag House." I wonder when they started associating it by name with Betsy Ross?
Probably around the time they discovered they could fleece the tourists for admission.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:11 AM on October 18, 2011
Probably around the time they discovered they could fleece the tourists for admission.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:11 AM on October 18, 2011
That is pretty neat; I was just here last weekend for my high school reunion!
posted by TedW at 7:14 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by TedW at 7:14 AM on October 18, 2011
This was my junior high school building.
I knew it was old, I didn't know it was THAT old.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:21 AM on October 18, 2011
I knew it was old, I didn't know it was THAT old.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:21 AM on October 18, 2011
Great link. I can't believe the smile the "old timey" web design brought to my face. I guess you can get nostalgic for anything.
posted by JBennett at 7:23 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by JBennett at 7:23 AM on October 18, 2011
But it is interesting. I think we tend to think of things like road names as static, when they are actually reasonably changeable.
This card from my home town lists the town's name as Newbern when now it's spelled as two words, New Bern. I've seen it spelled that way on older stuff, but it's interesting to see how long it held on.
Some of the other towns in North Carolina have postcards of people picking cotton, which seems a little odd to me.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:33 AM on October 18, 2011
This card from my home town lists the town's name as Newbern when now it's spelled as two words, New Bern. I've seen it spelled that way on older stuff, but it's interesting to see how long it held on.
Some of the other towns in North Carolina have postcards of people picking cotton, which seems a little odd to me.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 7:33 AM on October 18, 2011
I have a DC map from the 1920's that refers to the road I live on as B Street (NE).
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:51 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:51 AM on October 18, 2011
Some of these school buildings make me think that a high school education was taken a little more seriously back then.
posted by Winnemac at 9:01 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by Winnemac at 9:01 AM on October 18, 2011
Ahem...
Your post was seven years ago and visiting the old website results in 404 errors. This is a good post.
posted by cog_nate at 10:16 AM on October 18, 2011
Your post was seven years ago and visiting the old website results in 404 errors. This is a good post.
posted by cog_nate at 10:16 AM on October 18, 2011
Mr. Moon Pie, I somehow never looked closely enough at a DC map to realize that there are no B Streets (for non-residents, there are Constitution Ave and Independence Ave instead.) I don't know how I missed that. I lives on East Capitol Street for a year FFS.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:02 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by Navelgazer at 11:02 AM on October 18, 2011
Also no J street, which is part of the pun in the name of J Street.
posted by OmieWise at 11:16 AM on October 18, 2011
posted by OmieWise at 11:16 AM on October 18, 2011
Write like Yoda, I do.
Think I, Yoda like, write I do, that should read.
posted by y2karl at 10:32 AM on October 21, 2011
Think I, Yoda like, write I do, that should read.
posted by y2karl at 10:32 AM on October 21, 2011
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posted by OmieWise at 6:04 AM on October 18, 2011