Northwest Travel Postcards

Circled by snowy peaks, everchanging in her mood, Puget Sound is a sparkling gem of unusual scenic interest. (Text from postcard. approx. late 1940s)

These vintage postcards reflect a time when Seattle was described as the 'playland of America'. Victoria, British Columbia is shown before before the inner harbor causway was developed. Portland, Oregon is described as being "the center of the tourist travel of the pacific coast". Looking at postcards one can see the the sights that people thought were worth taking note of. One can enjoy the sentiments that people shared when traveling and see their eagerness to share their travel experiences. past. Special Collections has an excellent collection of research materials on postcards. Click here to view a description of the University of Washington Libraries Postcard Collection titled "Greetings from the Country". The Tacoma Public Library has a Northwest Postcard database The Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City has a directory of postcard publishers, including some from the Northwest. The Vintage Seattle Blog has some entries on old postcards from the northwest. For further suggestions on research in history see the subject page that Librarian Theresa Mudrock has developed. Click here to find a selective bibliography on postcards.