Much of Florida’s early history can be experienced in post card collections that have survived the test of time. If you’re lucky to have had someone in your family save the cards and pass them down, you know what a treasure they are. Not only do you have the history depicted on the front, but if the post cards have been used, you have a record of eyewitness testimony on the back. I am not a serious deltiologist (a person who collects and studies post cards). My own collection has come from a variety of sources: my family, trips to antique or thrift stores (even in other states), and online stores like Etsy. And while I like to actually hold the cards, there is also an online collection of 8,000 Florida postcards in the Florida Memory Project that houses images I would not be able to see otherwise.
With a growing personal collection of post cards, I have divided them into categories for the ease of sharing.
The first batch includes what I call post cards of the “true Florida,” cards that represent what others think of when they think of our great state. Join me as we explore the many facets of Florida as told through these unique pieces of history.
Love old postcards. Florida ones especially!