REAL PHOTO POSTCARD GUIDE:
The People’s Photography

by Robert Bogdan and Todd Weseloh
Published by Syracuse University Press
 

BOOK REVIEW by Alan Petrulis

A few months ago when I heard that a new book on real photo postcards would be released this Fall, I said to myself, “What again”. I suspected another collector had finally amassed enough cards together to entice a publisher to put them into print; that perhaps no more than a few new points would be made on a history that has already been widely covered. This is not that book.
I was very pleasantly surprised at the scope these two authors took upon themselves. While the basic history of real photos along with a summary of the general printed postcard environment it grew from breaks little new ground, the subsequent chapters were quite a bit of an eye opener. First there is an exhaustive chapter on identifying real photo postcards, something that is badly needed by collectors and dealers alike. Rather than toss about a few common hints, identification techniques are explained in enough detail to actually be of practical use. Valuable topics such as captions, numbering, publishers, copyright, fakes, and more are all discussed here in great detail. Supplementing this chapter is a very practical appendix on the dating of real photos, which may not be complete but is the best I have seen in print.
The most valuable chapter in this book is the one that gives remarkably good insights into the careers of postcard photographers. The careful description of how real photo postcards were made from the beginning to end of the process would be of great appeal to anyone interested in any type of postcard. It is their careful presentation of information, far too rarely seen, that provides us with a true understanding of postcards.
There is also a very unusual chapter here for any book, one that discusses the desirability and quality of cards. Few would dare take on the possible controversy of presenting such a subjective topic in fear of confusing opinion with fact. But sometimes it is better to have some debatable dialog on a subject than have no information at all. While there could be some disagreement to what is said here, it is not presented in a heavy handed manner as if it were the last word to be said on the subject. A number of different viewpoints are represented here, and more than anything it creates an awareness to the many dimensions of postcards. From these insights even the most casual of viewer of cards can learn to open their eyes to the richness inherent in them.
This book also contains a large section on collecting categories. Other books I’ve seen have also covered topics, and some found here are only briefly discussed, but for others there are details given that are not easily found elsewhere. A helpful guide to handling and storing real photos is also included, as well as hints to doing your own postcard research.
When I first skimmed through this book I was taken aback a little by the printed quality of the photos. But once I got past my glossy expectations and began to look at their content I was more than satisfied. Considering the cost of printing I am happy they found a way to include more than 350 illustrations within these pages for the pictorial content alone makes this a valuable reference tool.
I have heard this book described many times as the “ultimate book on Real Photo Postcards”. Despite the extensive research that went into this project it is not. There are still too many pieces missing from postcard history for any book to claim that lofty title, and perhaps none ever will. What it is however is the most comprehensive book on the subject of real photo postcards written to date. No matter what you believe you may know on this subject, your knowledge will be enhanced by this book. I would recommend this be the first book anyone reads on real photo postcards to gain a good fundamental understanding of them, and for those well read, the supplemental material found here is well worth the purchase. This book is a model for what a postcard history should be. Let’s hope it is.

Yorktown (NY)

by Linda G. Cooper, Adele Hobby,John Tegeder, and Susan Hack-Lane

Published by Arcadia Publishing

Yorktown is not a glamorous place. It does not have great natural wonders, popular amusements, or sites of great historical importance. Relatively it is not even a very old town having sprung up as a commuter community from the railroads that pushed northward from New York City. One might easily wonder why anyone would even bother to produce a book on this place. But Yorktown, like the thousands of other such towns across America is the place where we buy our groceries, fill up the tank of our car, watch our children grow, live our lives. There are many things close to home that can bring us as much joy as those we find on exotic vacations, that is if we open our eyes to them. This book is a reminder of life’s small pleasures, the things that we should keep ourselves more closely attuned to for they are apt to disappear before we know it.

While Arcadia Publishing has produced many books on small towns it must be noted that this volume is part of their Postcard History Series, and indeed nearly every illustration in this book comes from a postcard. This is significant because for the most part postcards represent images that were important to a community as a whole, not just one person as a photograph can be. They may be biased representations but ones that give us insight into what people once thought important rather than just being an impersonal slice of life. The cards found in this book seem to range widely in significance from an image of a farmer’s Holstein Bull to the large public bridges built over the Croton Reservoir, yet they were all deemed equally important at that time to be placed on a postcard.

The book begins at a logical point highlighting the railroad that turned this once rural farming community into a town. It is followed by chapters on the countryside in which hotels and bungalows sprang up to provide rest and recreation for city dwellers among the areas many lakes. It also covers places that relate to the local economy from the downtown stores to the area’s agricultural heritage. It goes on to cover Yorktown’s notable private homes, historic churches, and municipal buildings. There is even a section on the bridging of the Croton Reservoir that so strongly impacted the area’s geography. While most of the images seem to predate the First World War they are not restrained to any one period to give us a full history up to the present time. Postmark dates are often referred to, which is a nice touch. A map is also included showing the Town’s older structures overprinted on a more modern map. Though the scale makes it difficult to read it remains a valuable addition to those closely involved with the Town’s history.

But perhaps the most interesting illustrations are those that depict the quiet streets and roads of the area that create a deep sense of character. This is very much a book of place where the landscape is not the setting for a story but the leading player in it. Many images taken from the small villages within the town such as Mohegan Lake, Shrub Oak, and Amawalk all contribute to this feeling. Despite the rural nature of this township it is surprising how much has changed over the years. After awhile I was happy to find a picture of a building that hadn’t burnt down or a farm that wasn’t turned into an apartment complex.

It is obvious that a great deal of effort was put into labeling each postcard for much insightful information is attached to each. That alone makes this book a valuable resource for anyone interested in Yorktown or even Westchester County’s history. While the various subjects that comprise each chapter combined with the exacting captions of each picture add up to a good summary of the area’s history, it is unfortunate that there is no narrative outside of the small introduction to tie all this information into a more clearly understandable story. A small history of postcards is also included but it is too brief to provide a clear perspective on the book’s illustrations. Those truly interested in the area’s history can easily overlook these flaws. The visual information that was gathered to make this book possible paints a rich history of Yorktown. History was once relegated to the story of Kings, now it’s about all of us.

Yorktown sells for $19.99 and should be available at area bookstores and online. It can also be purchased through Arcadia Publishing:
www.arcadiapublishing.com or 888-313-2665.