Can you envision auto camping on Mt. Rainier in 1927, a Russian Orthodox church in Bucharest in 1924 or the Louvre in 1908? Visit the picture postcard collection found in the UW Libraries' Special Collections and Preservation Division that currently has nearly 60,000 postcards dating from the 1890s to the present. The postcard collection is worldwide in scope with emphasis on the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Russia and France. Well represented topics include holidays, humor, art and transportation.
Copies of postcards have been produced through Classroom Support Services in a variety of formats including slides for classroom use. Faculty and students often contribute the slides made to the art or architecture slide libraries on campus. While many postcards are still under copyright and may not be reproduced for some purposes, all can be used for examination and research.
The collection was begun privately by Caroline H. Ober, UW professor of Spanish from 1897 to 1929, and has been supplemented by numerous acquisitions, particularly by gifts of the late Imogene Miller Robbin. Donations of contemporary cards are actively sought, so keep this in mind as you organize your home or office. Contact Richard Engeman at 543-1929 or by e-mail at rengeman@u.washington.edu for further information.