December 13, 2025
Author: Ray Hahn
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Some Mysteries Take Time to Solve
6 Comments
Most postcard collectors have mysteries to solve. Here is an example of a mystery that lasted 31-years (1994-2025). It is amazing that it wasn’t forgotten, but the answer came when your editor purchased a BBC magazine in a New Jersey bookstore.
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Rationing During World War II
No Laughing Matter2 Comments
Gas rationing is almost unknown in today’s America. Today, it is easy to “fill it up” and be on your way. That wasn’t the case in 1942 when gasoline cost 19¢ per gallon and Americans were restricted to four gallons per week. For many it was no laughing matter.
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The Hassayampa River
3 Comments
A newspaper article from the 1920s dubbed an Arizona river as the Goofiest in America. Postcard History has confirmed the accusation. Legends of the river abound.
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George Armstrong Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn
No Comments
Nearly one hundred fifty years later the battlefield where George Custer lost his last battle is still hallowed ground. The site is visited by thousands every year. If a trip to Montana is out of the question, there are many postcards to collect.
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Hotel Fires and the Fire Escape Rope
6 Comments
There is the sad fact that people die in hotel fires. In many different ways authorities have demanded the use of life-saving equipment, but one way to help people escape from a hotel fire never seemed to catch on. Learn about hotel fire ropes.
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PRETZELS
4 Comments
How many “pretzel” postcards have you seen? It may be safe to say that your guess is a small number. If you want to collect pretzel cards, here are a few to look for.
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DeWolf Hopper: the man, his career, and his love of storytelling
1 Comment
“Casey At the Bat” has become the single most famous baseball poem ever written. It has been around long enough for the copyright to expire, but it is still popular, and the only thing left to happen is for the 1912 illustrations by D. S. Groesbeck to be made into postcards.
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A Savory Memory of Canned Meat
7 Comments
Frank and Bob are gone now, but Spam is still around and so am I. This is a real-life story about canned meat and how it helped form a friendship, sadly one of only a few years, but nevertheless life-long.
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S M I L E! … a Confession and a Love Letter
3 Comments
The author was asked to draft a few words on “Smiles” and has called a smile humanity’s Swiss Army Knife. You can create many different emotions with a smile, and postcards can teach you to use one effectively.
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Forgotten Treasures
5 Comments
Perhaps millions of men and women today remember their very first true responsibility – it was being a member of the school safety patrol. Safety Patrol postcards are scarce, but those we have found bring back memories.
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Cass Gilbert, America’s Celebrity Architect
2 Comments
What does it take to be a celebrity? It takes ability, success, fame, courage, and a lot more. Cass Gilbert had all these things. He also had ambition, motivation, and purpose. As an architect, he became a “brick and mortar” celebrity.
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A Happenstance of Good Luck
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The Hampton House, Towson, Maryland1 Comment
If you happen upon a National Park Service property, take advantage of your good luck. Visit and learn something new. Who knows, perhaps learning about those who created the past will offer new insights into the future. Hampton house postcards are mostly chromes.
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“Case – A.L.”
2 Comments
Writing history of an event that happened before postcards were common is a mean task, but historians are not only curious, they are also diligent researchers and story tellers. Tales of the American Civil War are still best sellers among many age groups. This is one of the best.
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Today is a Fifth Sunday
November 30, 20252 Comments
Phrases that describe ordinary events are often used every day by those who know nothing about what they say. Postcards illustrate many phrases and they teach us important things. Read about three such phrases, then enjoy your Fifth Sunday.
