Getting Started
This site documents vintage postcards from the early 1900s — focusing on the Philadelphia region, Ivy League universities, and the stories behind the cards and the people who sent them.
Use the sidebar to explore guides and stories, or jump straight to my collection to browse postcards by location, university, or publisher.
Arnold Bros Series
The Arnold Brothers of Rushland, Pennsylvania published a numbered series of 249 postcards depicting scenes across Bucks County in the early 1900s — churches, hotels, stores, post offices, bridges, mills, and scenic views from dozens of towns. This section covers the full series with modern comparison photos, eBay market data, and rarity information.
Browse the Arnold Bros series →
Koehler Hold-to-Light
Joseph Koehler of New York published chromolithograph city views around 1905–1910, each issued as both a standard postcard and a die-cut hold-to-light variant whose windows, streetlights, and moon glow when you hold the card up to a lamp. This registry tracks the full Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City series — about 12 cards each — marking which ones are in the collection and documenting the rest from reference listings.
Open the Koehler HTL registry →
College Football Series
Two 1905 college football postcard sets are catalogued here as reference checklists: the Bergman “College Football Girl” pennant series of six Ivy League cards, and the Ullman college baseball and football postcards, issued in two numbered series. Each checklist shows every card in the set and flags the ones in the collection.
Postcard Stories
Some postcards carry more than a pretty picture — they carry a story. These are deep dives into the people behind the handwriting: who sent a card, who received it, and what their lives looked like over a century ago.