P is for Postcards and Postal Stamps
At one time, it was a common practice for people to buy postcards, write notes, add stamps, and drop them in the mail. We now communicate more with Instagram posts but it is still nice to get a card in the mail.
There is a thriving community of people who send and collect postcards. I belong to a group called Postcrossings. People share real postcards (not electronic) with others worldwide. It is always a treat to open my mailbox and find a card.
The hobby of collecting and studying postcards is called Deltiology. Vintage cards are very valuable and collectors often focus on certain types of cards as they build their collects. One such category is cards featuring libraries. Libraries were at one time considered landmarks of a town or city and were often featured on postcards. Today, unfortunately, libraries are not as highly regarded as in years past. Take a look back in time when people corresponded with library postcards.
An early bookmobile -1906
Livermore, California
Library Humor
Stevens Point, WI Carnegie Library
the reverse side:
UC Berkeley
Stanford University Library after the SF Earthquake
A Prison Library (don’t you wonder what is written on the back?)
During World War I, the American Library Association made sure that soldiers had access to books in their camps across the United States.
Book Mobile Wagon – Midland County Michigan
And, don’t forget the stamps that featured libraries, librarians, library benefactors (Bibliophilately)
If you are interested in seeing more and learning about library postcards and stamps, visit Library History Buff which is an amazing site that promotes the appreciation, enjoyment, and preservation of library history.
I discovered a wonderful site thanks to the A to Z Blog Challenge which features postcards and all things snail mail. I suggest you head straight over to Mail Adventures to see what Eva is blogging about.
Have you ever sent postcards?
Hi Claire – I still send letters and postcards … I used them to good effect when my was in a Nursing Centre for her last years … I would write out to family and friends and ‘elicit’ cards back for her – which kept her in the loop of life. Loved these and I was fascinated when I visited Haddington in Scotland (East Lothian) that Revd Gray in 1688 had started a library! … cheers – writing out is so important, as too reading … lovely to read thank you – Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/q-is-for-quirky-quizzy-facts-and-quaggas.html
meant to have mother in there!
Needless to say that this is my favourite post so far…:D
(I’m absolutely flattered by your words!)
—–
Eva – Mail Adventures
I forgot to show you my (still) small album of libraries (and bookshops) on postcards:
https://get.google.com/albumarchive/108189801195027432974/album/AF1QipMq5yGLrbSCRQs8o6tKCJXCAtZnqyjXBLq3Uhi-
(Does the link work?)