Mary L. Martin

Houston, the largest city in Texas, has always been a dynamic metropolis, filled with historic and economic significance as well as cultural charm. Journey into its past over 190 picturesque vintage postcards with images from the early twentieth century. The pride of Houston is clearly displayed in hand-tinted cards that depict the monument of Sam Houston, the city's name sake, and the San Jacinto Memorial that memorializes an important battle in the Texas Revolution. View the magnificent Gulf and Esperson buildings, the Hermann and Sam Houston parks, and the lovely scenes ranging from the Houston Channel to the busy main streets of commerce and tradition. Approximate dating and values are included.

Visit Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, showcased by 160 beautiful historic postcards, memorializing important and noteworthy scenes as though browsing a family picture album. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, with over 51,000 American casualties make this battle the single-most costly conflict fought within the United States. This book, however, is as much about the visitors to Gettysburg as it is about the soldiers and the battle struggles. See battlefields, monuments, statues, soldiers, town citizens, and beautiful landscape scenes and relive history via quotes from the writing that grace some of the greetings. Those who have been to the battlefield will recognize familiar places. For others, who have never spent time in this busy, yet tranquil, place, it will be like receiving postcards from a friend saying "wish you were here" or “Greetings from Gettysburg.”

Take a tour of the Berkshire Hills and travel along the nation’s first scenic route, the Mohawk Trail; delight in the sounds of the Tanglewood Music Center and the Shelbourne and Bish-Bash Falls; visit landmarks including Hancock Shaker Village, the town of Lenox, and Jacob’s Ladder. More than 350 color images take you back in time to show how the Berkshires came to be the recreational and cultural mecca that it is today. See why this was the summer getaway place for the elite from the North for many years. This is a keepsake that residents and tourists alike will treasure, and with 250 vintage postcards, collectors worldwide will also find this a valuable resource.

Experience Boston, Massachusetts, as it was and as it is today, through over 300 vintage postcards and current photographs of one of America’s favorite tourist cities. Commerce, politics, romance, and religious strife all happened in Boston as it became a cornerstone of America’s greatness. See The Old State House and the new, vibrant skyline; the old Public Garden and the new skating rink; statues of Revolutionary heroes and the famous mallard family that all contribute to life in Boston as it has evolved over three centuries. Learn the city's history as you read stories that accompany these pictures. As a souvenir or guide to the city, this book will be a welcome visual reference to the city known as Bean Town, home of the football Patriots and the Boston Marathon.

Explore the popular sights the rich and famous once enjoyed at Bar Harbor, Maine, and discover today's lesser-known treasures. 147 color images capture these picturesque sights. See the area's "crown jewel," beautiful Acadia National Park. Postcard collectors will find the book a valuable resource for Maine images, and today's tourists will uncover a kinship with visitors who came to these shores 100 years ago..

If you like surf history, action photography, and cool graphics, this book is for you. 438 vintage postcards recap the last 100 years of surfing around the world. The leading postcard dealer shares her expertise on dating and valuing these wonderful items of ephemera to help launch you on the next great wave of collecting. Images include The Duke, Jan & Dean, and big wave action from Waikiki to the shores of New Jersey! You'll enjoy every page.

Take a historical journey to Pasadena, California, through rare views of vintage postcards spanning the early 1900s through the 1960s. See how this city in the suburbs of Los Angeles offered Californians entertainment, beautiful sights, and a place to call home, where exquisite architecture has withheld the test of time. Visit Marengo Avenue’s overhanging pepper trees, and East Colorado Street, where the annual Tournament of Roses takes place every New Years Day. Become immersed in Pasadena’s lovely landscaping that lasts all year, including lush orange groves and floral gardens.

Take a magical journey back in time to view historically rich Dallas, Texas. This lone-star city’s history comes alive, displayed in over 140 precious views of hand-tinted postcards from the late 1800s through the 1940s. See the old City Hall (the setting for the assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald) and the famous Fair Park, with its magnificent gardens, buildings and parks. See the John Neely Bryan cabin, Southern Methodist University, and the Tower Petroleum Building. Gape at the red flying horse atop the Magnolia Building, drawing visitors from afar. Look down beautiful State Park Boulevard and observe the crowds along Main Street. Delight in the grand architecture and rich cultural life of Dallas long ago.

Take a tour back in time to see St. Louis as it appeared 100 years ago. Vintage postcard imagery from 1900 through the 1950s provide rare views of Union Station; Eads Bridge, the first bridge across the mighty Mississippi River; and Forest Park, home of the 1904 World’s Fair. You will be stunned by the hand-tinted images of Henry Shaw’s spectacular garden displays, residential mansions that made St. Louis famous, and steamboats along the Mississippi. Approximate dating and values are included.

Tour this winter playground rich in history and tropical allure. The resort city's amenities are illustrated in beautiful, hand-tinted picture postcards that date to the early 1900s. The city's history unfolds with images of the Sunken Gardens, home to hundreds of tropical plant species; the Coliseum, considered the finest ballroom in the South, and the luxurious Vinoy Park Hotel. Join the hordes as they relax on Central Avenue's famous green benches, eye the yachts along the waterfront, or feed pelicans at the pier. You'll even get a glimpse at the Sunshine City's famous Open Air Post Office, where many of the 340 vintage postcards started their journey to the 21st century.

Go back in time and see San Antonio, Texas, through vintage postcards from the 1900s to the 1950s. Historic images review places that made the city famous. See Fort Sam Houston, the San Fernando Cathedral, the authentic Mexican shops in Market Square, visit the historic Bexar County Courthouse and an immense collection of trophies in the Buckhorn Saloon. Enjoy the scenery of Brackenridge Park, the sights along the River Walk, and the old Spanish architecture of the Mission San Juan de Capistrano. The Spanish Governor's Palace has been called "the most beautiful building in San Antonio." Learn about Texas history and San Antonio's most famous landmark, the Alamo.

Visit the Ocean City, Maryland, that your grandparents visited. Historic photographs preserve images from the 1900s when bonneted women wore full-length dresses on the boardwalk. Then travel to the 1970s, when the crowds stopped at 38th Street. Aerial views help trace the island's development from a remote Victorian seaside village to the advent of high-rise condos and resort hotels. Look back at the city's long-favorite attractions: the Boardwalk and the Fishing Pier. See famous landmarks like the Atlantic Hotel and the Ocean City Life-Saving Station. Venture to nearby attractions at the Ocean Downs Raceway, Frontier Town, and Assateague Island. Pictures and text beautifully summarize the history of this popular summer vacation area.

Take a magical journey back in time in this historically rich and visually appealing coffee table book. Displayed in over 240 precious views of hand-tinted and sepia-toned postcards from the late 1800s through the 1940s, Burlington's history comes alive. View its bays, beaches, and boats and enjoy the images of park-like and wilderness settings as they once were. See Lake Champlain, one of the nation's most beautiful waterfronts, and the Adirondack Mountains towering behind. Burlington's turn-of-the-century city streets, architectural excellence, and busy college life at the University of Vermont will delight you.

Visit Portland, Oregon, the "Rose City," as it was in days gone by. Over 380 vintage hand-tinted and black and white postcards from the 1900s to the 1950s take readers on a nostalgic visual tour that includes City Hall, Council Crest Amusement Park, Union Train Depot, and the famous Rose Parade. Admire the churches, hotels, and rose-festooned neighborhoods as they appeared early in the last century. Hop in your car for daytrips, admiring the countryside, including imposing views of Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens. Meander by the harbor as it appeared in yesteryear, or relax in Portland's city park, and linger in the Sunken Rose Garden. Finally, follow the crowd to the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition and marvel at The World's Largest Log Cabin!

Take a nostalgic, scenic journey through the San Diego of days gone by. 226 vintage postcards show the city as it appeared decades, and even a century, ago. From crisp Marine formations at Fort Rosecrans to casual strolls through Balboa Park, you'll see San Diego's history unfold. Dozens of images celebrate San Diego's red-carpet welcome for the 1915 Panama-California International Exposition. Romantic views portray Casa de Estudillo, where novelist Helen Hunt Jackson's heroine Ramona captured the nation's heart. Dodge trolleys and horses on D Street, ogle the glorious U.S. Grant Hotel, explore famous beaches and resort areas, and take in the panorama from Mission Cliff when it was an idyllic garden. These wonderful images illustrate sites that lured so many people to San Diego in the early to mid twentieth century.

In 1636, theologian Roger Williams landed in Rhode Island and "having a sense of God's merciful providence unto me in my distress, called the place Providence." This city grew to become a leader in textile, tool, and jewelry manufacturing and gained the nickname "Beehive of Industry." In the nineteenth century, Providence was known for its busy factories, fascinating history, and beautiful location on scenic Narragansett Bay. Over 300 vintage, hand-tinted postcards transport readers to the early 1900s, when tourism boomed. See the marble dome of the Rhode Island State Capitol, look into the shops at the Mall on Weybosset and Westminster Streets, Roger Williams Park, a lecture at Brown University, and a clambake on the shores of Narragansett Bay. Approximate dating and price guides will be useful to seasoned collectors and beginners looking to start their own collections.

A grand river city in southwestern Ohio, Cincinnati is rich in history and exquisite charm. In these pages you will experience unparalleled architecture and art such as that seen at Union Terminal and the Eden Park Conservatory, powerful waterfront and landscapes skirting the magnificent Ohio River, and entertainment sites including the wondrous Ohio Grove Amusement Park— "The Coney Island of the West." Take time to see disaster cards depicting the fierce tornado of 1915, the flood of 1937, and a terrible fire in the early 1900s! Learn about the important Underground Railroad significance of Cincinnati in times past. Over 225 vintage, hand-tinted postcards dating back to the turn of the century showcase the nostalgic quality of the "Queen City." Whether it's the excitement of Cincinnati's busy streets and towering buildings, the active riverfront metropolis, or zoological and natural wonders, Cincinnati will astound as you fondly explore its progress from small river town to thriving city. Approximate dating and postcard values will aid collectors in building their own collections of these striking images.