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THE
CARNEGIE LIBRARY
AND THE PENNY POSTCARD |  |
| by
John Troesser |
Recording
the wonders of the new century, it’s hard to imagine the number of people who
collected these photographs of history. It’s also hard to imagine an era of two
and three digit phone numbers and twice-daily mail delivery. The scribbled messages
also reveal their popularity: "Couldn’t find one of the Denton Courthouse,
hope this will do."
"Here’s one from Beaumont, you now owe
me two." The simple message "Please return favor", with nothing
else except the address, shows that the sender was replying to a newspaper ad
for an exchange of "views" from a distant city. So affordable and available,
stores would notify customers by post ("Dear Miss, your dress is ready.")
A street address wasn’t necessary in a town where everyone knew your name (and
your business). I once owned several letters addressed to Captain Ira Stover,
New York City.
After Courthouses and City Halls, Carnegie Libraries were
the most photographed buildings from this period, although it was nearly a three-way
tie with asylums and sanitariums. (Where people were thought to go when they read
too much.) In the twenties, all three lead categories were swept aside by Hotel
postcards, possibly because they were free in the lobby and there’s always the
desire to show off to the folks back home that you always stay in a hotel with
indoor plumbing, even if it’s just for the novelty of it.
Even today,
most postcard dealers maintain a separate category for Carnegie Libraries. While
every town had a City Hall, however humble, and every county seat a Courthouse,
a library especially a Carnegie Library was a source of civic pride. Carnegie
Libraries had to be applied for, which means at least one member of the community
could write. Courthouses merely proved that your town had lawyers.
Visit Razed
in Texas to see postcards of the following cities’ lost libraries:
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