Rural delivery

by Jody Blake

Rural Delivery: Real Photo Postcards from Central Pennsylvania 1905-1935 examines small-town life as reflected in photographic images that were made into postcards in the early twentieth century. Over two hundred real photo postcards have been selected to recreate a sense of place when Union County, Pennsylvania, was prosperous, progressive and growing. This was also the era when so-called "corresponding photographs" were at the height of their popularity and neighboring towns competed with one another to have their best "souvenir views" available. The essay by art historian, Jody Blake, relates this photographic correspondence to technical, social and artistic developments in the history of photography. The essay by material culture historian, Jeannette Lasansky, places the images on the postcards into the local historical context of Union County, Pennsylvania. A foreword by Gary W. Slear establishes the personal framework he has as an avid collector for viewing real photo postcards.