National Trust Library Historic Postcard collection
Collection
0001-MDHC-NTL
The National Trust Library Historic Postcard Collection contains approximately 20,000 postcards dating from 1893 to the 1970s with the bulk of the cards from the years 1900 to 1920. The collection represents over 3,000 locations in the United States, as well as a small number of foreign countries. There is a particular strength in cards from the New England states although all 50 states are documented. Most of the cards were commercially produced and depict early 20th century scenes from small towns to large cities. There is also a group of about 900 cards for which location could not be determined. These are arranged by subject.
This collection is open to the public and must be used in the Special Collections Reading Room. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.
Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.
20,000 Items
English
The National Trust Library Historic Postcard collection contains approximately 20,000 postcards documenting localities across the United States with a particular strength in the New England states. The postcards date from 1893 to the 1970s with the bulk falling between the years 1900 and 1920. The collection includes a small number of foreign cards as well as a small number of cards arranged by subject.
The collection is organized as three series.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation donated this postcard collection to the University of Maryland Libraries in 1986. It was included as part of the library collection when the entire National Trust for Historic Preservation Library was donated to the Univeristy. The collection was donated to the National Trust by an individual from New England which has given the collection a particular strength in the New England states. Over time a variety of other individuals have donated smaller numbers of cards to the collection. These cards have been incorporated into the collection as they have been donated.
Digital copies of select postcards in this collection are available at http://digital.lib.umd.edu/ntlpostcards.jsp?pid=umd:15237 in the University of Maryland's Digital Collections.
Postcards have been arranged by geographic location whenever possible. Some postcards that are particularly fragile or are real photo postcards have been placed in mylar sleeves. Oversize postcards have been placed in specialized housing.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives