All this history you want for the cost of a stamp!!Postcards are not just mementos to send home from vacations. They also serve as historical records of people, places and events. They serve as primary sources as well as secondary sources. They provide answers to questions that cannot be answered through conventional research techniques.
Postcards can also be used to trace changes in a specific place as well as to highlight what was culturally relevant at that time. Because these historic gems are usually mementos from a personal vacation they are saved along with family photos and bric-a-brac. The messages themselves often preserve history by telling a story of a place. |
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These two postcards show the evolution of Lincoln Memorial Drive at two different points in time. By carefully examining the cars we can estimate the reference dates. The first one must have been made between 1906-1920. The second postcard was manufactured sometime in the 50's. The second card also has a woven texture that was popular for postcards mid-century.
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Occasionally, even without a postal stamp on the reverse side it is possible to date a postcard. For instance, postal laws did not allow any writing on the back of the cards until 1907; only the address was permissible. Based on that information we can identify post cards from 1898-1906: those are the ones where the bulk of the message is written in the front. This is an example of a card prior to 1907 when the law was changed to allow for the message and the address to be written on the reverse side of the card.
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Thomas and Jean Ross Bliffert Postcard Collection, circa 1900-1975, Boxes 7-9, vol. 12-17, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives Department.
Danielle Eyre
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, Understories
Danielle Eyre
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, Understories