Postcard History Series

The American Postcard history series books explores the history of an area through vintage postcards. Go fishing in the Salton Sea, tour the iconic Hollywood Studios during their golden age, and then take one of New York City’s subways back in time. From early Denver to the Grand Canyon National Park, these postcard books send greetings from the past to eager readers with a passion for history. [View all Postcard History Series books]
5 products
Portland
Portland
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Seattle
Seattle
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Astoria
Astoria
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Olympia
Olympia
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Portland

9780738548746

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The year was 1901, and Portland, Oregon, was celebrating its 50th birthday, having grown from a community of 821 people to become the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. A small change in postal regulations that year opened the door to the production of the picture postcard, and collecting these cards quickly became a popular hobby. Many of these cards survive today and provide a glimpse of life in days gone by. Collected here are many rare images of Portland: grand hotels and magnificent buildings, the natural beauty of the surrounding area, the great bridges, and splendid sailing ships. The world's fair honoring the centennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition and the annual Rose Festival inspired enough cards to fill their own books.
Portland

Seattle

9780738580081

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The Puget Sound region was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years before settlers arrived. After initially landing at Alki Beach in West Seattle, the Denny Party established a settlement on the eastern shores of Elliott Bay in 1852. For years, the cultural and commercial life centered around Yesler's Wharf and Sawmill. The city grew rapidly following the 1870s after the discovery of coal in the Cascade foothills. The entire commercial district was incinerated in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, but it was quickly rebuilt out of enduring brick and stone. The city stumbled economically following the Panic of 1893, but it recovered after the Klondike Gold Rush began in 1897. By the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, Seattle was the undisputed leader in the Pacific Northwest.
Seattle

Astoria

9781467116473

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Fortunate to be located in the northwest corner of Oregon, where the mighty Columbia River flows to the Pacific Ocean, Astoria has always inspired residents and visitors. The town's spectacular natural beauty and accessible everyday life invites documentation. Those lucky enough to experience Astoria sense they are witnessing something special. More than a century ago, it was a place of big fish, big trees, big dreams, and big personalities. Luckily, many professional photographers and everyday shutterbugs made it their business to capture life on the Lower Columbia from the earliest days of photography. Today, there are fewer giant Chinooks and the remaining old growth is protected, but the town, dreams, personalities, and photographs remain.
Astoria

Olympia

9780738580364

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Located on the southernmost point of Puget Sound, the Olympia area was occupied by the Coastal Salish Indians for many generations before American settlers established a town site there in 1846. First the provisional territorial capital in 1853, incorporated as a town in 1859, it then became the permanent state capital when Washington attained statehood in 1889. The town was named for the majestic Olympic Mountains, visible on a clear day. The town's history and landmarks, including the capitol building, the waterfront, the downtown businesses, and the Olympia brewery, as well as the surrounding areas, were all visually documented by the picture postcard, which gained widespread popularity at the beginning of the 20th century.
Olympia

Mount Rainier National Park

9780738596464

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Mount Rainier rises 14,410 feet above sea level and can be seen on any given day by over three million people and from over 100 miles away. It is America's fifth national park, established in 1899. The mountain is an active but currently dormant volcano. With 25 named glaciers, 50 smaller unnamed glaciers, and numerous perennial snowfields, Mount Rainier boasts the largest glacier system in the continental United States. In addition to the glacier zone, the park has alpine and subalpine forest and subtropical rain forest. Each zone has its own unique ecology of plants and animals. The vistas of and from the mountain are some of the most spectacular in all of the park system.
Mount Rainier National Park