Railroad station postcards collection

About this collection

    While postcards were in existence as early as 1840, postcard collecting became popular in the early twentieth century. It was an accessible and inexpensive hobby, as postcards were plentiful. Collectors of railroad memorabilia often also collected postcards. Railroad postcards generally picture stations, engines, bridges, route scenery, railcar interiors, and accidents. Some collectors sought specific railroads.
    The Railroad postcards collection (Accession 1995.299) is an artificial collection assembled from a variety of donors and contains over a thousand postcards related to railroads. It has not been digitized in its entirety.
    Most of the postcards from this collection date from 1900 to 1940 and depict railroad station exteriors, although some show waiting rooms, lobbies, or terminals. Many of the postcards identify the railroads serving the station depicted as well as the station itself.
    Image: Santa Fe Depot in Oakland, California. Click here to view in the collection.

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