The Story of NYC in Old Postcards

In 1898, Congress decided to allow privately printed picture cards to be sent for one penny. These cards often featured a colorized photo on one side and space for the recipient's address on the reverse -- with no room for any sort of personal message. In 1907, the back of postcards (as they came to be known) was split so that a message could be added to the left of the address block...and the popularity of the postcards as souvenirs skyrocketed.

This talk will look at our own extensive collection of New York postcards, examining how these pieces of ephemera not only help us preserve the images of the past, but also allow us to tap into the cultural attitudes of the time. We will be featuring dozens of postcards from 1898 through the 1960s.

Each ticket covers one (1) registered device. You do not need to watch the lecture as it is happening if that's inconvenient for you -- approxmately 24 hours after the talk, a link will be emailed to all registered participants so that you can watch the talk at your leisure on Vimeo. Your registration will appear on your credit card statement as “Michelle Nevius.”