Postcard Collection

Collection Type

Images

QC16510

Quantity

24 boxes (20 cubic feet)

Access

Open to research

Acquisition

Donations from various sources.

Processed By

Fred Bassett, Senior Librarian, Manuscripts and Special Collection, January 2007.

View Catalog Record

"Private Mailing Card" of Niagara Falls from about 1900.
Sand or glitter was added to the card to give the water texture.

Scope and Content Note

The New York State Library Postcard collection comprises over ten thousand postcards of New York State. The postcards in this collection range in date from the late nineteenth century to the present day, with the bulk dated from 1905 to 1930.

Most cards in the collection were commercially produced and represent well known landmarks, buildings, monuments of major cities and popular tourist destinations, such as the State Capitol in Albany, Statue of Liberty, and Niagara Falls. The hustle and bustle of New York City is well documented in this collection as too, are the major upstate cities of Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.

Coverage of the many small cities and towns of New York State is also quite extensive, as depicted in street scenes and domestic buildings. Agriculture, industry, commerce, and the transportation infrastructure of New York State are extensively depicted too.

"Real photo" postcard of a blacksmith at work.

Along with buildings and structures, this collection also represents aspects of social life in New York State during the past century. Some cards were privately produced and are in fact photographs that have been printed on postcard paper. These were created by individuals for the consumption primarily by friends and relatives. This includes views of blacksmiths at work, farm chores, camping and hunting.

The postcard collection is arranged alphabetically by county and then by locality, with the exception of New York City, which is arranged by borough. Also, there are some special categories for postcards of a particular region or event, such as Adirondack Mountains, Catskill Mountains, Hudson River Valley, Mohawk River Valley, and the Hudson-Fulton Celebration of 1909.

Although most of the cards depict sights in New York State, the collection includes scenes of some places outside of New York State, most notably Niagara Falls, Canada, as well as cards of many world fairs and expositions held outside of New York, such as the World Columbian Exposition, 1893, and the Century of Progress, 1933, both of which were held in Chicago. One postcard album consists of views depicting the places a Robert and Clara Fulton visited during their tour of the world from September 1908 through May 1909.

Novelty leather postcards depicting the Statue of Liberty
and the "Flatiron" building in New York City.

This collection also includes souvenir folders, double panel, jumbo postcards, and various novelty postcards items that file separately from the standard-size postcards.

Postcards are not only visual records. Many of the postcards were in fact mailed and so contain written messages, stamps, and postmarks. The backs of the cards were also printed with information about the publisher, captions describing the image, and ornaments. The printed text, along with the stamp and postmark, can help to date and place the manufacture and use of the cards. (See Appendix A: History of picture postcards in the United States for more information on dating U.S. postcards.) Alternatively, the captions and written messages contain a wealth of information that can be used to learn about the postcard's image or to illuminate the attitudes and interests of the past.

Postcard of Sea Cliff, Long Island (N.Y).Use of the words "POST CARD" on the back, along with an undivided back (used solely for the address) date this postcard to between 1901 and 1907.
The cancellation stamp narrows the date further; it was mailed in November of 1906, and probably produced in the same year.

Box	Contents
1	NEW YORK STATE
1	General Greetings
1	ALBANY COUNTY
1	Albany (City)
2	Albany (City) (cont.)
2	Altamont
2	Bethlehem (Delmar)
2	Cohoes
2	Loudonville
2	Ravena
2	Rensselaerville
2	Selkirk
2	Watervliet
2	ALLEGANY COUNTY
2	Alfred
2	Belmont
2	Bolivar
2	Friendship
2	Wellsville
	BRONX COUNTY (See NEWYORK CITY – BRONX)
2	BROOME COUNTY
2	Bainbridge
2	Columbian Grove
2	Deposit
2	Endicott
2	Leicestershire
2	Oquaga Lake
2	Port Crane
2	Union
2	Vestal
2	CATTARAUGUS COUNTY
2	Allegany State Park
2	Olean
2	Salamanca
2	CAYUGA COUNTY
2	Auburn
2	Aurora
2	Fair Haven
2	Moravia
2	Sodus Bay
2	CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY
2	Brocton
2	Celeron
2	Chautauqua (Assembly Grounds)
2	Chautauqua Lake
2	Dunkirk
2	Findley Lake
2	Fredonia
2	Jamestown
2	Lakewood
2	Mayville
2	Panama Rocks
2	Silver Creek
2	Westfield
2	CHEMUNG COUNTY
2	Elmira
2	CHENANGO COUNTY
2	Coventry
2	Greene
2	Linklaen
2	Norwich
2	Oxford
2	Sherburne
3	CLINTON COUNTY
3	Altona
3	Ausable Chasm
3	Champlain
3	Chazy
3	Dannemora
3	Guilford Center
3	Hawkeye
3	Lake Champlain (general views)
3	Plattsburgh
3	Rouses Point
3	Valcour
3	COLUMBIA COUNTY
3	Ancram
3	Canaan
3	Chatham
3	Claverack
3	Copake
3	Ghent
3	Hillsdale
3	Hudson
3	Kinderhook
3	Lake Charlotte
3	Lebanon Springs
3	New Lebanon
3	North Chatham
3	Old Chatham
3	Philmont
3	Valatie
3	CORTLAND COUNTY
3	Cortland
3	Homer
3	Virgil
3	DELAWARE COUNTY
3	Andes
3	Delhi
3	East Meredith
3	Fleischmann
3	Franklin
3	French Woods
3	Hancock
3	Hobart
3	Margaretville
3	Meridale
3	Roxbury
3	Shinhopple
3	Stamford
3	Walton
	See also CATSKILL MOUNTAINS
3	DUTCHESS COUNTY
3	Amenia
3	Amenia Union
3	Annandale
3	Bangall
3	Bannerman Island
3	Beacon (includes Mt. Beacon)
3	Briarcliff Manor
3	Clinton Corners
3	Dover Plains
3	Fishkill
3	Hopewell Junction
3	Hyde Park
3	Leedsville
3	Mattawan
3	Millbrook
3	Millerton
3	Mills
3	Moores Mills
3	Pawling
3	Pine Plains
3	Poughkeepsie
4	Poughquag
4	Red Hook
4	Rhinebeck
4	Stanfordville
4	Verbank
4	Wappingers Falls
4	Wassaic
4	Wingdale
4	ERIE COUNTY
4	Akron
4	Alden
4	Angola
4	Buffalo
4	East Aurora
4	Kenmore
4	Lackawanna
4	Lancaster
4	Springville
4	Williamsville
4	ESSEX COUNTY
4	Au Sable Forks
4	Crown Point
4	Elizabethtown
4	Jay
4	Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain
4	North Elba
4	Port Henry
4	Schroon Lake
4	Ticonderoga
4	Wadhams
4	Westport
4	Willsboro
	See also ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
4	FRANKLIN COUNTY
4	Brushton
4	Malone
4	Paul Smiths
4	Saranac Lake
4	Trudeau
4	Tupper Lake
	See also ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
5	FULTON COUNTY
5	Broadalbin
5	Caroga Lake
5	Gloversville
5	Johnstown
5	Loon Lake
5	Northampton
5	Northville
5	Sacandaga Park
5	GENESEE COUNTY
5	Batavia
5	Bergen
5	GREENE COUNTY
5	Acra
5	Ashland
5	Athens
5	Cairo
5	Catskill
5	Catskill Game Farm
5	Coxsackie
5	East Windham
5	Haines Falls
5	Hunter
5	Lanesville
5	Leeds
5	New Baltimore
5	Palenville
5	Prattsville
5	South Cairo
5	Tannersville
5	Urlton
5	Westkill
5	Widham
	See also CATSKILL MOUNTAINS
5	HAMILTON COUNTY
5	Blue Mountain Lake (Adirondack Museum)
5	Indian Lake
5	Inlet
5	Long Lake
5	Piseco Lake
5	Speculator & Lake Pleasant
5	Wells
5	HERKIMER COUNTY
5	Dolgeville
5	Fairfield
5	Frankfort
5	Herkimer
5	Herkimer Homestead
5	Ilion
5	Jordanville
5	Little Falls
5	Newport
5	Roxbury
5	Warren
5	JEFFERSON COUNTY
5	Adams
5	Alexandria Bay
5	Brownville
5	Carthage
5	Frontenac
5	Mannsville
5	Pine Camp (Fort Drum)
5	Sackets Haror
5	Watertown
5	Thousand Islands (includes Boldt Castle, Heart Island)
6	Thousand Islands (cont.)
	KINGS COUNTY (See NEW YORK CITY – BROOKLYN)
6	LEWIS COUNTY
6	Beaver Falls
6	Constableville
6	Lowville
6	Lyons Falls
6	Port Leyden
6	LIVINGSTON COUNTY
6	Avon
6	Caledonia
6	Dansville
6	Geneseo
6	Lakeville
6	Letchworth State Park
6	MADISON COUNTY
6	Brookfield
6	Canastota
6	Cazenovia
6	Chittenango
6	Hamilton
6	Oneida
6	Peterboro
6	Poolville
6	MONROE COUNTY
6	Brockport
6	Charlotte
6	Churchville
6	Hilton
6	Honeoye Falls
6	Irondequoit
6	Pittsford
6	Rochester
6	Spencerport
6	Summerville
6	Webster
6	MONTGOMERY COUNTY
6	Akin
6	Amsterdam
6	Canajoharie
6	Fonda
6	Fort Hunter
6	Fort Plain
6	Fultonville
6	Palatine Bridge
6	Saint Johnsville
6	Tribes Hill
7	NASSAU COUNTY
7	Bayville
7	East Norwich
7	Elmont
7	Freeport
7	Glen Cove
7	Hempstead
7	Jericho
7	Jones Beach
7	Locust Valley
7	Long Beach
7	Lynbrook
7	Manhasset
7	Massapequa
7	Mineola
7	Oceanside
7	Oyster Bay
7	Port Washington
7	Rockville Center
7	Roslyn
7	Sea Cliff
7	Valley Stream
7	Westbury
7	Woodmere
	NEW YORK COUNTY (See NEW YORK CITY – MANHATTAN)
7	NIAGARA COUNTY
7	Fort Niagara
7	Lewiston
7	Lockport
7	Niagara Falls (city)
7	North Tonawanda
7	Olcott Beach
7	Ransomville
7	Wilson
7	Youngstown
7	NIAGARA FALLS (cataract)
8	NIAGARA FALLS (cataract)
8	ONEIDA COUNTY
8	Boonville
8	Camden
8	Clinton
8	New York Mills
8	Oriskany
8	Rome
8	Sylvan Beach
8	Trenton Falls
8	Utica
8	Waterville
8	ONONDAGA COUNTY
8	Baldwinsville
8	Fayetteville
8	Jordan
8	Manlius
8	Marcellus
8	Skaneateles
8	Syracuse
8	Tully
9	ONTARIO COUNTY
9	Canandaigua
9	Canandaigua Lake
9	Clifton Springs
9	Geneva
9	Naples
9	Phelps
9	ORANGE COUNTY
9	Bear Mountain
9	Central Valley
9	Chester
9	Cornwall
9	Florida
9	Fort Montgomery
9	Goshen
9	Greenwood Lake
9	Lake Minnewaska
9	Leptondale
9	Middletown
9	Monroe
9	Montgomery
9	Newburgh
9	Otisville
9	Pinebush
9	Port Jervis
9	Purley
9	Southfield
9	Sparrow Bush
9	Tuxedo Park
9	Unionville
9	Walden
9	Warwick
9	West Point
9	ORLEANS COUNTY
9	Albion
9	Lyndonville
9	Medina
9	Waterport
9	OSWEGO COUNTY
9	Cleveland
9	Fulton
9	Hannibal
9	Oswego
9	Phoenix
9	Pulaski
9	Redfield
9	Sandy Creek
9	OTSEGO COUNTY
9	Cherry Valley
9	Cooperstown and Otsego Lake
9	Garretsville
9	Gilbertsville
9	Lacona
9	Oneonta
9	Richfield Springs
9	Unadilla
9	Worcester
9	PUTNAM COUNTY
9	Brewster
9	Carmel
9	Cold Spring
9	Garrison
9	Lake Mahopac
9	Manitou
9	Patterson
	QUEENS COUNTY (See NEW YORK CITY – QUEENS)
10	RENSSELAER COUNTY
10	Averill Park
10	Berlin
10	Castleton
10	Grafton
10	Hoosick Falls
10	Nassau
10	Petersburgh
10	Rensselaer (city)
10	Schaghticoke
10	Taborton
10	Troy
10	West Sand Lake
10	RICHMOND COUNTY (See NEW YORK CITY – STATEN ISLAND)
10	ROCKLAND COUNTY
10	Congers
10	Haverstraw
10	New City
10	Nyack
10	Pearl River
10	Piermont
10	Rockland Lake
10	Sloatsburg
10	Stony Point
10	Suffern
10	Tappan
10	SAINT LAWRENCE COUNTY
10	Canton
10	Gouverneur
10	Massena
10	Norwood
10	Ogdensburg
10	Potsdam
10	Tupper Lake
10	White Lake
10	SARATOGA COUNTY
10	Ballston Spa
10	Batchellerville
10	Conklingville
10	Corinth
10	Mechanicville
10	Palmer Falls
10	Round Lake
10	Saratoga Springs
10	Schuylerville (includes Saratoga Battlefield)
10	Stillwater
10	Waterford
10	SCHENECTADY COUNTY
10	Duanesburg
10	Mariaville Lake
10	Schenectady
11	SCHOHARIE COUNTY
11	Blenheim
11	Cobleskill
11	Howe Caverns
11	Middleburgh
11	Schoharie
11	Sharon Springs
11	Sloansville
11	Summitt
11	SCHUYLER COUNTY
11	Montour Falls
11	Watkins Glen (village)
11	Watkins Glen State Park
11	SENECA COUNTY
11	Ovid
11	Seneca Falls
11	Sheldrake
11	Waterloo
11	STEUBEN COUNTY
11	Addison
11	Canisteo
11	Corning
11	Hornell
11	Painted Post
11	SUFFOLK COUNTY
11	Amityville
11	Arverne
11	Babylon
11	Baiting Hollow
11	Breezy Point
11	Brentwood
11	Bridgehampton
11	Brighton Beach
11	Brightwaters
11	Brookhaven
11	Cedarhurst
11	Centerport
11	Centre island
11	Cherry Grove
11	Cold Spring harbor
11	East Hampton
11	East Moriches
11	Fire island
11	Fishers Island
11	Flanders
11	Fort Terry (military base)
11	Greenport
11	Hampton Bays
11	Huntington
11	Islip
11	Lake Ronkonkoma
11	Lakeview
11	Lakeville
11	Lawrence
11	Mattituck
11	Montauk
11	Millers Place
11	Mt. Sinai
11	New Suffolk
11	Northport
11	Orient
11	Patchogue
11	Port Jefferson
11	Quogue
11	Ramblersville
11	Riverhead
11	Sag Harbor
11	Saint James
11	Sayville
11	Setauket
11	Shelter Island
11	Shoreham
11	Smithtown
11	Southampton
11	Stony Brook
11	Ulmer Park
11	Westhampton Beach
12	SULLIVAN COUNTY
12	Barryville
12	Beaverkill
12	Calicoon
12	Cochecton
12	Eldred
12	Fallsburg
12	Ferndale
12	Grahamsvile
12	Kenoza Lake
12	Kiamesha Lake
12	Lake Huntington
12	Liberty
12	Livingston Manor
12	Loch Sheldrake
12	Luzon
12	Monticello
12	Neversink
12	Rockland Lake
12	Roscoe
12	Shandelee
12	Stevensville
12	Westbrookville
12	White Lake
12	Woodbourne
12	Wurtsboro
12	Yankee Lake
12	Youngsville
12	Yulon
12	TIOGA COUNTY
12	Newark Valley
12	Owego
12	Waverly
12	TOMPKINS COUNTY
12	Groton
12	Ithaca
12	Ithaca – Cornell University
12	ULSTER COUNTY
12	Arkville
12	Ashokan Reservoir
12	Clintondale
12	Cragsmour
12	Ellenville
12	Highland
12	Hurley
12	Kerhonkson
12	Kingston
12	Lake Minnewaska
12	Lake Mohonk
12	Lloyds
12	Marlborough
12	Milton
12	Napanoch
12	New Paltz
12	Olive Bridge
12	Oliverea
12	Phoenicia
12	Pine Hill
12	Port Ewen
12	Pottersville
12	Rifton
12	Rondout
12	Saugerties
12	Shawangunk
12	Stone Ridge
12	Walkill
12	Warwarsing
12	West Hurley
12	West Park
12	Woodstock
13	WARREN COUNTY
13	Chestertown
13	Glen Lake
13	Glens Falls
13	Hague
13	Lake George
13	Lake Luzerne
13	WASHINGTON COUNTY
13	Brantingham Lake
13	Cambridge
13	Croton Falls
13	Dresden
13	Fort Ann
13	Fort Edward
13	Granville
13	Greenwich
13	Hudson Falls (Sandy Hill)
13	Lake Cossayuna
13	Salem
13	Whitehall
13	WAYNE COUNTY
13	Lyons
13	Newark
13	Palmyra
13	Rose
13	Williamson
13	Wolcott
13	WESTCHESTER COUNTY
13	Bedford
13	Bronxville
13	Chappaqua
13	Croton
13	Dobbs Ferry
13	Harmon
13	Hartsdale
13	Hastings-on-Hudson
13	Katonah
13	Larchmont
13	Mamaroneck
13	Mohegan Lake
13	Mount Kisco
13	Mount Vernon
13	New Rochelle
13	North Pelham
13	North Salem
13	Oscawana
13	Ossining
13	Peekskill
13	Pelham Bay
13	Pleasantville
13	Port Chester
14	Rye
14	Scarsdale
14	Scrub Oak
14	South Salem
14	Tarrytown
14	Tuckahoe
14	Valhaila
14	White Plains
14	Yonkers
14	WYOMING COUNTY
14	Arcade
14	Attica
14	Castile
14	Perry
14	Silver Springs
14	Warsaw
14	Wyoming
14	YATES COUNTY
14	Bellona
14	Branchport
14	Dresden
14	Dundee
14	Glenora
14	Keuka Lake
14	Keuka Park (Keuka College)
14	Penn Yan
14	ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
15	CATSKILL MOUNTAINS
15	HUDSON RIVER VALLEY
15	HUDSON – FULTON CELEBRATION, 1909
15	MOHAWK RIVER VALLEY
15	NEW YORK CITY – MANHATTAN
16	NEW YORK CITY – MANHATTAN (cont.)
17	NEW YORK CITY – MANHATTAN (cont.)
18	NEW YORK CITY – MANHATTAN (cont.)
18	NEW YORK CITY – BRONX
19	NEW YORK CITY – BROOKLYN
20	NEW YORK CITY – QUEENS
20	NEW YORK CITY – STATEN ISLAND
20	NEW YORK CITY – WORLD FAIR 1939
21	SOUVENIR FOLDERS
21	Adirondack Mountains
21	Albany
21	Ashokan Dam
21	Au Sable Chasm
21	Beacon
21	Bear Mountain Bridge and Highway
21	Binghamton
21	Buffalo
21	Catskill Mountains
21	Cooperstown
21	Delaware Valley: Water Gap to Port Jervis
21	Finger Lakes
21	Fort Niagara
21	Fort Ticonderoga
21	Geneva
21	Howe Caverns
21	Hudson River Valley
21	Kingston
21	Jamestown and Chautauqua Lake
21	Lake Champlain
21	Lake George
21	Lake Mahopac
21	Lake Placid
21	Long Island
21	Long Lake
21	Malone
21	Middletown
21	New Paltz
21	New Rochelle
21	New York City
21	Niagara Falls
21	Palisades Park
21	Plattsburgh
21	Poughkeepsie
21	Rochester
21	Rome
21	Saratoga Springs
21	Schenectady
21	Schroon Lake
21	Stamford
21	Storm King Highway
21	Syracuse
21	Taconic Trail
21	Tarrytown
21	Thousand Islands
21	Troy
21	Utica
21	Wallkill
21	Wappingers Falls
21	Watertown
21	Watkins Glen
21	West Point
22	PANORAMIC (DOUBLE FOLD) AND JUMBO POSTCARDS
22	Adirondack Mountains
22	Albany
22	Catskill Mountains
22	Lake George
22	Long Island
22	New York City (Ellis island)
22	Thousands Islands
22	Transportation and Miscellaneous
22	MINIATURE POSTCARDS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC SETS
22	Adirondack Mountains
22	Howe Caverns
22	New York City
22	Niagara Falls
23	PIONEER POSTCARDS (PRE-1898)
23	Albany
23	Hudson River
23	New York City
23	Niagara Falls
23	EXPOSITION AND WORLD FAIRS
23	Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893
23	Pan-American, Buffalo, 1901
23	Jamestown Centennial, Virginia, 1907
23	Perry's Victory Celebration, Cleveland, Ohio, 1913
23	Panama – Pacific Exposition, San Francisco, 1915
23	California – Pacific Exposition, San Diego, 1915
23	Century of Progress, Chicago, 1933
23	Empire Exposition, Scotland, 1938
23	New York World Fair, 1939 (See NEW YORK CITY – WORLD FAIR 1939)
23	Miscellaneous world fairs and expositions
23	FIRES AND NATURAL DISASTERS
23	New York State Capitol Building, 1911
23	Flood of Albany, 1912 or 1913.
23	NOVELTY POSTCARDS
23	Hologram postcard: Niagara Falls with Statue of Liberty
23	Leather postcards: Flat Iron Building, and Statue of Liberty, New York City
23	Aluminum postcard: Lower Falls , Rochester
23	Metal bison clasped to view of Buffalo
23	ADVERTISEMENT POSTCARDS
23	American-LaFrance Fire Engine Company, Elmira
23	Peerless Printing and Paper Company, Penn Yan, N.Y.
23	POSTCARDS WITH FOLD-OUTS OF MINIATURE VIEWS
23	Buffalo
23	Canandaigua
23	Niagara Falls
23	Schenectady
24	Postcards from the album of the journey around the world by Robert and Clara Fulton, 12 September 1908-20 May 1909 (cards are arranged by sequence of the journey)
24	Hawaii
24	Japan (includes Kobe, Kyoto, and Nikko)
24	China; Penang, Malaysia; Rangoon (Yangon), Burma; Singapore
24	India (includes Agra, Benares, Calcutta, Delhi, and Jaipur)
24	Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
24	Egypt
24	Palestine, Syria, and Constantinople (Istanbul)
24	Greece (Athens and Corinth)
24	Italy (Rome and Pompeii)
24	France (Paris)

Postcard Collection

Scope and Content Note

Related Pages