Clayton, NM
Pasadena, CA
Albuquerque, NM
Woodland, CA
Blackwell, OK
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There was no grand plan in the acquisition of these cards, unlike the Carnegie Library postcards.
They are simply those that appeal to me, and I am showing them in the hope that they will appeal as much to you.
Most of my Wisconsin and Illinois library cards are on their non-Carnegie pages. For New York, Indiana, and Iowa, the collection just isn't large enough to break these states' libraries into separate categories. Ditto for my New England Libraries page, but some of those are also on this and the Richardson Romanesque page.
Not the first style in my heart, there are a lot more Gothic library buildings than I am sharing.
Yes, it was built as a church in 1903. I don't know how a congregation could outgrow this in 25 years.
First this served as the public library, then it became a historical/genealogical library, according to Texas Escapes. Where to categorize this card is a real dilemma, as it really fits neither public nor special exactly. Hence, the Gothic heading.
I've been to Beaumont, and must have thought that this was just another church.
Who can resist an aluminum postcard?
Apparently the aluminum card was mailed in a glassine envelope,
as fourth class mail. This card was produced by Owens Bros.--
Hillson Co., of Boston.
The other, more ordinary card with an unevenly divided back, was
made in Germany.
I don't think this library exists as an entity any more. There is a Hubbard Free Library in Hallowell now, but I'm not finding any pertinent info about it online.
Avoid everything that pertains to the plan and arrangement of the conventional American library building.
-William Poole, Librarian, 1879, as cited in Free to All.
These libraries reflect their era differently than do the Carnegie libraries, just as the standard Carnegie plan departed from the Richardsonian and the Gothic 'book halls.' However, there is a vibrant diversity in these buildings unseen in those built thirty years earlier.
Card by 'C.T. American Art' at its best. No postmark. No information on the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Library website whether this building is still in use.
I hope so.
Information from the back of the Columbia card:
COMPTON PUBLIC LIBRARY - 123 W. Almond Street
Compton, California. Constructed and operated jointly by
Los Angeles County and Compton, this beautiful modern
structure is adequately stocked with books to serve the
needs of the entire community. The new Los Angeles
Court House now occupies site of old library.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
On the left-hand card, flanked by the Edison Building and the Engstrom Apartments (L) and the Mayflower Hotel (R), the Los Angeles Public Library is about 9 parts Deco: 1 part Southwestern. Deco influence is clearer on the 'Folkard' card on the right, which was mailed in 1948. Surprisingly, this building is still the central library, at 630 W. Fifth Street.
Alas, the lefthand buildings are gone, and the Mayflower Hotel is not clearly visible in the photo on the library's website.
The card, printed by the Western Publishing and Novelty Co., was mailed in 1939.
The cartouches appear Egyptian, a favored influence on Art Deco design.
Evansville apparently has the best of all worlds with respect to libraries. The west side has a Carnegie building that can be seen on an Evansville postcard site which can be reached through the library site under 'Evansville Postcards.' The Deco building is the Evansville/Vanderburgh County library today. And the Willard Library is reputedly haunted. It certainly looks as if it could have been built for the Addams family.
Even Deco architecture can be bleak and forbidding.
Hand coloring drastically improves the appeal of these Curt Teich cards.
Deco and New England don't seem like a natural combo to me.
This is the New Library, according to the Tichnor Bros. of Boston (R).
Curt Teich and the Toledo Post Card Co. bring you more info (L).
'325 Michigan St., Toledo, Ohio. The Toledo Public Library,
founded in 1838, was Ohio's first free public library.'
I thought the Tichnor Bros. had conspired to place the flagpole in its location
atop the roof, but I see the pole on the Curteichcolor card, too.
The library's frieze is rather restrained by Deco standards. Unfortunately, the strange angle of approach keeps the entrance somewhat obscured in the ca. 1945 linen-finish card. The later card, from the late 1950s, has a better view of the front.
Deco, Texas style.
This is a massive looking repository, built of limestone and Texas Leuder stone in 1939, according to the E.C. Kropp card which was mailed in 1944.
Not that I trust E.C. Kropp for my geological needs.
There really is such a thing as a Googie library.
Dig the two-toned 1961 Galaxie.
Replaced. Now known as 122 Ocean Place.
I seem to remember this building from the flyover leading into the 1960s 'Jackie Gleason Show.' At least I hope that's why 'Melancholy Serenade' goes through my brain when I look at these linen-finish cards.
1969 Curt Teich card.
Mod/Sunoco station
According to the card, the building is made of granite, Italian marble, and anodized aluminum; and for the comfort of its visitors, has a smoking lounge.
I think I could picture a tirade about that little bonus today.
This replaced a Romanesque building seen here and here. I don't know what happened to the two Carnegie buildings on the latter postcard.
This library was featured in the 25 June 2007 airing of History Detectives on PBS.
This style is fairly common in the Lone Star State. Unfortunately, postcards are scarcer.
This building replaced the city's Carnegie building which was
razed
in 1954.
I'm not certain it's an improvement,
but they sure tried hard with the exterior. Blame Curt Teich for the 26 star flag.
The late linen finish card was printed in 1956.
I don't know who the guy embedded in the black wall was. Sorry.
There aren't too many libraries in this eclectic style in Wisconsin.
This is today's Madison Public Library main location. Mid-Century
architecture truly resounds with the city's attitude.
This card dates from sometime after 1964.
Update: Plans are being made for a six-storey downtown library, and demolishing this
building for a hotel. It just might be an improvement.
Its Sequoya Branch has also been recently replaced.
Mission architecture is reflected in these libraries.
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Clayton, NM |
Pasadena, CA |
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| Real photo card of Clayton, New Mexico's Public Library. Published in Albuquerque, it appears to date from the '40s. | The Public Library of the City of Pasadena, California. Building has some Federal influence seen in the windows and front entrance. Card mailed in 1930. | |
Albuquerque, NM |
Woodland, CA | |
| Albuquerque's public library appears on this 'C.T. Art-Colortone' card. My copy has a 6/25/49 date pencilled on its back. | Unusual card style. Library still in use. | |
Blackwell, OK | ||
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| Spanish with a hint of Italianate. |
| Columbus, Wisconsin | Rochelle, Illinois | Ida Public Library Belvidere, Illinois |
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| Library still in use. Carnegie funding was used. | Card was mailed from Clay Center, Nebraska, with overprinted 'Nebr.' 1-cent stamp. | Building still in use: Belvidere does not seem to have the money to upgrade. |
| Jefferson, Wisconsin | Detroit Lakes, Minnesota | |
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| Building apparently no longer in use, and may have been torn down. | Slighly too vertical to be truly of the Prairie school. Maybe it's a Prairie school companion. |
| Indianapolis, Indiana | Anaconda, MT (Hearst Public Library) | Enoch Pratt (Baltimore, Maryland) |
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| Federal/Italianate/French Colonial? Not only is the style unnamed, someone dolled the card up with glitter. |
Classical Grecian No, it wasn't founded by either of those Hearsts. The library's web site has the scoop on this 1898 building, which is still in use. (And red, if you're interested.) |
Federal/Deco Legend on card: 'This three story limestone building is located at Franklin and Cathedral Streets. It was completed in 1933 by the city of Baltimore and replaced an older one on Mulberry Street. Enoch Pratt, who came to Baltimore from Massachusetts in 1831, was donor of the original building.' |
| Lakeland, Florida | Rochester, Minnesota | Black Mountain, North Carolina |
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| Spanish/Moorish/Federal Card postmarked 1948. Nice looking building perfectly appropriate for a former Spanish colony. |
Federal/Gothic Card postmarked 1948 and sent to the same person as the Lakeland card. |
Bungalow/Mountain vernacular Quite attractive modern library that may date from the 1960s or 1970s. |
| Sebring, Florida | ||
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| Library Hut That is all. |
© 2003-2009 Judy Aulik
Last updated 13 September 2009.
Home.
Impatient for more cards? I recently discovered Pat Sabin's postcard site. Among postcards of historical buildings she intersperses a fair amount of library postcards.