Postcards – Snapshots into History

I love collecting postcards of Des Moines, Iowa pre-1950s. Not only does the scene give you a glimpse into a place and moment in the past, the quick note jotted on the back can be full of slang, humor or mystery. They’re inexpensive (usually about $.50 – $2.00) at a flea market or antique store and don’t take up a lot of space. The postcard to the left I found in a antique store on my way to Chicago. While it says it’s a night scene, I’m guessing it was probably from a negative that was touched up to make it look like it was night. It was postmarked 1914. It’s crazy to think this little piece of history is ninety-seven years old. If you stand in this same spot now on Walnut Street , the library and bridge are still there but the streetcar tracks and the coliseum are not.