Wish you were here

by Steven G. Hanley

In turn-of-the-century America, "Wish you were here" was an often-penned phrase used on the backs of postcards that had been purchased for a few pennies and mailed with a one-cent stamp. Taken from a collection of over five thousand postcards amassed by brothers Steven and Ray Hanley, these 431 images offer a close look into the lives of Arkansans during the early part of the twentieth century. Many of these scenes appeared in the Arkansas Gazette and in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in the popular daily feature "Arkansas Postcard Past." Substantial captions, which add historical details and often include the messages of love, sickness, friendship, and intrigue written on the backs, bring to life scenes from a vast number of towns and hamlets in Arkansas.