The first souvenir postcards in the United States were printed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago – making Illinois the birthplace of the American picture postcard.
Since those Victorian originals, billions of postcards of every aspect of life have been printed; depicting cities and street views; fairs and expos; cartoons; ads for products and conveniences; roadside and travel attractions; social history; and everything in between.
In 2016, the world’s largest public collection of over 19,000 postcards, the Curt Teich Postcard Archives, was acquired by the world-renowned Newberry Library in Chicago. Will Hansen, curator of Americana with the Newberry Library, presents a fascinating look at the power and significance of the postcards in the collection.
He touches on the Curt Teich Company of Chicago, the role Illinois played in the development of picture postcards, and on picture postcards as cultural icon.
Thursday, July 28, 7 p.m. This is a free virtual program using Zoom.
Please register and enter your e-mail address for instructions and Zoom connection details.