Comstock Adirondack Postcard Collection MSS. COLL. NO. 198 1890’s-1950’s 3 linear ft History The modern picture postcard phenomena begins in 1893 at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Officially licensed postcards cost one cent to mail while unlicensed private cards required two cents, the same as a first-class letter in a sealed envelope. The popularity of postcards increased dramatically in 1898 when the U.S. Congress authorized lowering the postage rate to one cent. These early postcards required that the address and stamp be on one entire side of the card, while the other side could contain an image and a space for a handwritten message by the sender. This all changed in 1907 when Postal authorities approved the “divided back” format which has continued ever since. Hundreds, if not thousands of American photographers, printers, publishers across the United States began creating and selling postcards. Some of these were “Real Photo Postcards” (RPP) in which the image was actually a photographic print. This was also a period in which the general printing industry was developing numerous lithographic and offset printing techniques to produce color and black and white images which were quickly adopted by postcard producers. Many of these early cards were printed in France and Germany, but this diminished almost entirely due to tariffs and the First World War. Edward (Ted) Comstock, curator, antiquarian dealer, editor, and consultant of all things Adirondack began collecting vintage Adirondack postcards in the 1980’s, saying “the variety of the early cards fascinated me…as ephemeral examples of paleo-pop art they have plenty of stories to tell about Adirondack history during the first half of the 20th century.” Scope & Content This collection consists of approximately 3,000 postcards from the 1890’s through the 1950’s depicting scenes in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York State. It contains postcards by the major postcard publishers of the time as well as by significant known and unknown Adirondack photographers. It is especially strong in its images of geographical locations, and hotels. Approximately 30-40% of the cards have been posted containing messages of all kinds. Provenance Purchased from Ted Comstock in 2016. Organization & Arrangement Series 1: By place: 2611 postcards Geopolitical towns and hamlets (NY), or Geophysical features (County name). Series 2: Unidentified places arranged by subject 206 postcards Series 3: Photocopies of postcards 42 photocopies Series 4 Panoramic postcards and souvenir booklets 51 items 2910 items Corporate headings Names of hotels, lodges and camps (corporate headings) are in bold type. These names are represented as accurately as possible, “The Hedges” as opposed to “Hedges” for example, and are usually taken from how the name appears on the card. Researchers should be aware that variant forms of names routinely exist. Note: the term “General views” is used in this finding aid to connote street views, buildings and people. Related Collections: Adirondack Manuscript Collection, 1848-ongoing. MSS. COLL. NO. 032 Atwood Manley Papers, 1856-1989 MSS. COLL. NO. 067 Van de Water Family Postcard Collection, 1890’s-1960’s. MSS. COLL. NO. 197 Dwight Church Photograph collection, 1912-1974 MSS. COLL. NO. 057 Additional reading: Bogdan, Robert. Adirondack vernacular : the photography of Henry M. Beach. Syracuse: Syracuse U. Pr., 2003 F127.A2 B637 2003 Exposing the wilderness : early twentieth-century Adirondack postcard photographers. Syracuse: Syracuse U. Pr., 1999 F127.A2 B64 1999 Real photo postcard guide : the people's photography Syracuse: Syracuse U Pr., 2006 TR6.5 .B64 2006 Meikle, Jeffrey L. Postcard America : Curt Teich and the imaging of a nation, 1931-1950. Austin: U. of Texas Pr., 2015 NC1875.U6 T456 2015 Tolles, Bryant. Resort hotels of the Adirondacks…1850-1950 Hanover: U. Pr. of New England, 2003 TX909 .T6 2003 Photographers, Publishers, Printers & Distributors Unlike other forms of published materials where it is relatively easy to distinguish between an author, printer, publisher, distributor, or retailer, postcards are notoriously difficult. With postcards these roles frequently changed, with a publisher becoming a distributor, for example. The postcards themselves are often misleading in determining distinctions with a retailer being identified as the “publisher.” Therefore with this collection these distinctions are left up to the researcher’s judgement… Albertype Albertype Company, Brooklyn NY, 1890-1952. Founded by brothers Adolph and Herman Wittemann the company produced postcards by the collotype method, a photomechanical printing process. Ameden Ernest Ameden (1862-1940) a photographer in North Creek, NY American American News Corporation, NYC. 1864-1957. Distributor, printer and publisher. Used a number of printing technologies and names: Americhrome, Bromide Chrome, Doubletone Delft, Doubletone Sepia, Druckchrome, Embossed, Excelsior, Hand Colored, Helio Dore, Litho-Chrome, Mezzochrome, and Monotone. Artvue Artvue Post Card Co., NYC. 1948-1963 Auburn Auburn Postcard Manufacturing Company, Auburn, IN, 1913-1929 Beach Henry M. Beach (1863-1943) or his son, Harry M. (1889-1971), photographers and publishers, initially located in Lowville NY, ca. 1904-1906, then in Remsen NY ca. 1906-1916, before returning to the Lowville area in 1921. Bradford B.&Co; Bradford & Co. (abbreviated) St. Joseph, MI, printer. DeGraff E. H. DeGraff, Old Forge NY Photographer and publisher of postcards ca. 1904-? Detroit Detroit Publishing Company, 1890’s-1924. William H. Jackson most prominent photographer. Dexter Thomas Dexter Press, West Nyack, NY 1934-1980 Eagle Eagle Post Card Co., NYC, 1910-1954 Elson A.W. Elson & Co., Belmont, MA, 1894-1925 Hughes C.W. Hughes & Co., Inc. Mechanicsville, NY. 1915-1944 Illustrated Illustrated Post Card Company, NYC. 1905-1914 Jubb William Jubb Co., Syracuse, NY. 1908-1930’s Kropp E.C. Kropp & Company, Milwaukee, WI. 1907-1956, Printers and publishers. Leighton H.C. Leighton & Company, Portland, ME 1906-1909. Merged with Valentine & Sons in 1909 to become Leighton & Valentine (below) L&V Leighton & Valentine, NYC. 1909-1914. Merged with Souvenir Post Card Company in 1914 to become Valentine-Souvenir Company (below) LeRoy Sue and Tom H. (dates unknown). Photographers, publishers and perhaps distributors, located in Syracuse NY. Livingston Arthur Livingston ( ) New York, NY Moore Moore & Gibson, NYC. 1905-1918 Moses Chester D. Moses & Co. Lake Placid, NY, 1898-ca.1920. First official photographer of the Lake Placid Club, also a doctor, interested in x-ray technology. Irving Stedman became his partner, and continued the business in the 1930’s. National National Art Views Co., NYC. 1902-1904 National R National Railway News Co.?? Stoddard?? Owen F.A. Owen Co., Dansville, NY, 1915-1917 Prince C.L. Prince, Mohawk, NY ….? Became Nolan & Prince? Robson Robson & Adee, Schenectady, NY 1898-1933 Ross H.D. Ross, Ilion, NY ? Rotograph Rotograph Company, NYC, 1904-1911. Most of their postcards were printed in Germany or France. Santway Santway Photo-Craft Company, Inc. Watertown and Star Lake, 1917-1941 Standard Standard Supply Co. Otter Lake, NY ?? Stoddard Seneca Ray Stoddard ? Teich Curt Teich (1877-1974) German born printer, publisher and distributor of postcards established in Chicago IL in 1896 and closing in 1978. Tichnor Tichnor Brothers, Inc. Boston, MA, 1912-1987 Publishers and printers. Tuck Raphael Tuck & Sons, British company with offices in NYC. 1900-1960’s Union Union News Co., NYC. 1908-1969. A wholly owned subsidiary of American News Co. Utica Utica Paper Co., Utica, NY. 1909-1913 Valentine Valentine-Souvenir Company 1914-1923. (See also: Leighton) SUBJECT TERMS Buildings & structures Recreation & sports Architecture Golf courses Environment & nature Rustic architecture Tennis courts Beaches Barns Swimming Fields, pastures & meadows Boathouses Skiing Gorges Bridges Skating Islands Churches Winter sports Lakes & ponds City & town halls Fishing Mountains Clubs Ice fishing Overlooks Dams Hunting Points Docks (Piers & wharves) Camping Rivers Farms Campgrounds Rocks Fire towers Picnic grounds Shorelines Signal towers Streams Forts Waterfalls Grist mills Boats & boating Waterfronts Hospitals Adirondack guide-boats / Houses guide boats Business & industry Hotels, motels, inns & lodges Boating for women Log transportation Hunting & fishing clubs or lodges Boats used as flower pots Logging Lean-tos Canoes & canoeing Logging railroads Libraries Kayaks Lumber camps Log buildings Launches Lumber industry Outbuildings Motorboats Lumber trade Paper mills Rowing Lumbering Post Offices Sailboats Lumberyards Private camps Skiffs Maple sugaring Railroad stations Steamboats Mines Resorts Towboats Mining Restaurants Portages Tourism Sanatoria / sanitaria (see also other catagories) Sawmills Schools Animals Transportation Service stations Fish Automobiles Ski lodges Bears Carts & wagons Stores & shops Cats Carriages & coaches Summer camps Deer Railroad trains Tourist cabins Dogs Railroads Tents Horses Roads Livestock Skid roads Adirondack chairs Trails & paths Other Trucks Interior views Aerial views Dining rooms Panoramic views People Fireplaces Aluminum postcards Children Furniture Leather postcards Families Kitchens Guides Rustic furniture Loggers Taxidermy mounts Lumbermen Passengers Community Tourists Business districts Women Main streets Residential streets NY Heritage Topics (version 3, July 2015) Agriculture – Farms, homesteading, farming and agricultural