Page 1 Page 2 The full postcard list Reading list
More About this Website:
This website was mainly inspired by two books: Gas, Food, and Lodging, by John Baeder and Williamsburg Before and After, by George Humphrey Yetter. I recommend seeing both books in order to get a feel for what this website is all about.
None of these images are actual-size. Because different people have different browsers, monitor sizes, and resolutions, it is hard to define what "actual-size" means anyway. The overall majority of the cards printed before the 1970's are 3.5" by 5.5", and most newer cards are 4" by 6". Odd-sized cards are noted where appropriate.
[2] A great website for postcard collectors: America as it Was.
[3] The Library of Congress has a searchable on-line database,
including many photographs: American Memory Collections.
[4] Earl Gregg Swem Library, Special Collections has a large
[5] AtoZee.com's Virginia postcard site list.
Sources used to provide information about the postcards come mainly from the postcards themselves - postmarks, hand-written dates, picture content, and knowledge about individual printers and publishers can provide information about when a postcard was printed, but several other sources have contributed to the explanations accompanying the images, including books, current and former residents of Williamsburg, and countless librarians.
Mission statement:
The purpose of this website is to preserve, in digital format, vintage images from Williamsburg's past. Most, but not all, of those images come from postcards.
Disclaimer:
If I have violated any copyright laws by posting these pictures, please let me know before you sue me! I assure you it is out of ignorance and not spite. I will happily remove the offending graphics. However, please note that although they may look good on your monitor, none of these cards are scanned at a resolution suitable to reproduce illegally on cardstock.
More about the images:
As a general rule, if you see the card on this site, I can be counted on to have the actual card in my personal collection. However, when the cards themselves are not available, but scanned images of them from other sources are, I have used those images and credited the source. So, for most of these cards, if you wish to know more about them or wish to see more detailed scanned images, I will be happy to oblige.Terminology:
Some terms used on these pages may be unfamiliar to the uninitiated. Hopefully this will help:
Chrome - a color photograph postcard.
Deltiology - the study of postcards.
Divided - reverse has a midline (post-1907).
Linen - a rough finish used from the 1930's through 1950's.
Midline - the vertical center of a postcard's reverse.
Moiré - checkered pattern resulting from additive dot frequencies.
Obverse - the front of a postcard.
Printer - the company which actually makes a postcard.
Publisher - the company which commissions a postcard.
Real Photo - a photograph developed on postcard stock.
Reverse - the back of a postcard.
Undivided - reverse has no midline (pre-1907).Where can I find out more?:
[1] My book! You can order it at any major online book retailer. Click on the cover for Amazon.com.
collection of postcards from Williamsburg and vicinity.Credits:
Generous server space for this website was kindly donated by Gilinda Rogers of Williamsburg, and help in setting it up was provided by Andy Bogursky.
