Former Library Postcard Collections and Collectors

Louise E. Bailey, Minneapolis, MN. A number of cards from Miss Bailey's collection, which date from 1914-1916, are now in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection. Some of those cards contain messages such as, "Another library for the collection."

Esther Baker, Librarian, Ridgewood (NJ) Public Library. A few cards from her collection are now part of the Stevens collection.

Robert G. Bartholomew, Rochester, NY. A library postcard to him in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection has the message, "Another for your collection."

Mrs. E. Bartlett, Worcester, MA. One library postcard, probably dated 1908, in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection is addressed to her; it carries the message, "Have you this library in your collection?"

Zoe Bates, Healdsburg Public Library, Healdsburg, CA. A letter from Barbara Rosasco dated 10/22/62 in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA encloses cards collected by Ms. Bates.

Kenneth Brecher. In Too Sad to Sing: A Memoir With Postcards, Brecher describes one of the categories in his postcard collection as "Portraits of Books and Libraries."

Donald R. Brown (Don's large postcard collection, which includes libraries, is now part of the Institute of American Deltiology.)

Mrs. A. K. Chittenden, Washington, DC, (Several library postcards dating from 1910 addressed to her are now in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection. They contain messages such as, "Here is another public library for you.")

Lola Clegg, Redondo Beach (CA) Public Library. (Several cards from her collection are now in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA including one dated 6/19/13 from Ellen B. Mack that says "for your collection.")

William M. Cochran. (his collection of Iowa cards is now part of the Stevens collection)

Dorothea Cramer, Torrington Public Library,Torrington, CT. A letter, dated 11/17/62, from Ms. Cramer in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA indicates that the Torrington Public Library has been collecting library postcards for about ten years. There are numerous cards from that collection in the L. C. Powell collection.

Ariel B. Cutler, Peterborough, NH. There is a postcard, dated 6/14/37, in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA of the Peterboro (NH) Town Library to Oscar Hodi of San Francisco that reads "Am a new member of the Post Card Club, would like to exchange library views with other members as I make a specialty of them. Any kind of library will do." Larry Nix has in his collection two library postcards addressed to Cutler. Both cards have messages that confirm that Cutler collects library postcards. One is dated July 15, 1939 and the other is dated Nov. 28, 1941.

Miss Helen M. Davis, Brooklyn, NY. One library postcard in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection is addressed to her; it carries the messagae, "Best I could do in way of a library card."

Alan Day, Department of Library & Information Studies, Manchester Polytechnic, Manchester, England. See his article "Bibiiothecal Deltiology" Library Review (Scotland) 32:318-22, 1976/1977 (Winter) for a description of his collection.

Clarence Dichel, Buffalo Public Library. According to Carol Abramson, Dichel, who was head of the stack unit at the Buffalo Public Library when he retired in 1954 after fifty years of service, was an active collector of library postcards.

June Richardson Donnelly, Boston, MA. The former director, now deceased, of the library school at Simmons College had a collection and inspired her students, including Elizabeth Hayward (q.v.), to establish collections; the location or status of her collection is unknown.

Linda Eastman, Cleveland Public Library, Cleveland, OH. Miss Eastman, Director of the Cleveland Public Library and a President of ALA, appears to have collected library postcards as evidenced by a number of cards ranging from 1920 to 1937 addressed to her now in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection.

"Elizabeth". There is a single card, dated 11/8/15 but not mailed, of the Paxton (ID Public Library in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA that says simply "Elizabeth from Margaret for your collection."

Miss Ursula A. Ernst, York, PA. She appears to have collected library postcards since one card addressed to her, dated 1935, now in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection contains the message, "Here is a card for your scrapbook.")

Mary Fait, Barrington, RI. There are several cards to Miss Fait in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA including one, dated 8/7/52, of the Maohias (ME) Public Library from "Me" with the message "Would you like to add this one to your collection?" There are also cards addressed to her at 104 Douglas Road in Glastonbury (CT) as well as at the Welles-Turner Library in Glastonbury.

Henrietta M. Faulder, Covina Public Library, Covina, CA. A letter from Dorothy Weeding of the Covina Public Library in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA indicates that Ms. Faulder, who was the first librarian of the Carnegie Library (1904) in Covina, collected library postcards and that an album from her collection is being forwarded. There are several cards addressed to her in the L. C. Powell collection including one from F.W. Faxon, Channing Place, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts that reads "May I have a card of your library for my collection?")

Frederick W. Faxon, Boston, MA. Deceased; his collection is now part of ALA Archives.

Ana Felt, Galena, Illinois. Ms. Felt was actively involved in planning the Carnegie library building in Galena. She was an avid collector of library postcards. A collection of 280 of those library postcards are now in the collection of Larry T. Nix.

Roger B. Francis, South Bend Public Library, South Bend, Indiana. A letter, dated 10/30/62, from Mr. Francis in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA indicates that "my predecessor [unnamed] had been collecting library picture postcards for years and I was delighted to add his contribution to the collection."

Gretchen Garrison, New York, NY. There are several cards addressed to her in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA including one of the Pittsburg (CA) Public Library from K, dated March 1932, that reads. "Just another one for your collection."

Dorothy B. Goldsmith, Rutherford, NJ. One library postcard, dated 1906, in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection, addressed to Ms. Goldsmith, carries the message, "Another for your collection!"

Miss Jessie Gregg, Brattleboro, VT. A library postcard to her, dated 1916, in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection has a message, "I hope that this may prove to be a new one for your library collection."

Phoebe Hayes (1905-1975), Denver, CO. Library postcards were collected between 1930 and 1970. A selection of 30 library postcards from the Hayes collection is now in the collection of Larry T. Nix.

Elizabeth Hayward, Ridgewood, NJ. Elizabeth, now deceased, began her collection in the 1950s although she was inspired by June Richardson Donnelly (q.v.) while a library school student at Simmons College in the 1930s. Her collection is now part of the Stevens Collection.

Judith Holliday, former Cornell University Fine Arts Librarian, compiled at collection of 350 library postcards. Her collection has been absorbed into the Johnson Roberts Associates - Architects collection, and is described more fully described on their website.

Adria D. Humphreys, Euclid, OH. Miss Humphreys, now deceased, was formerly Librarian at Chagrin Falls, OH and in the Cleveland Public Library; a few cards from her collection are now part of the Stevens collection.

Mary E. Iddings, Wadsworth, OH. A 1965 letter from her in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA indicates that she had a library postcard collection.

Harold Jones, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Jones had, at one time, a large collection of photographs of libraries and a letter dated 11/9/62 in the L.C. Powell collection at UCLA lists a few of the library postcards also in his collection.

Miss Miriam Lathrop, Sun City, AZ. One library postcard, dated 1962, addressed to her is in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection; it contains the message, "One more to add to your postcard collection of libraries."

Miss Emma Laugner (?), New Haven, CT. There is one library postcard, dated 1913, addressed to her in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection; it carries the message, "This card may add to your collection."

Mr. H. W. Lewis, Manchester, NH. There is one library postcard, dated 1915, addressed to him in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection; part of the message reads, "This is the only library view that I could get."

"Mary". There is a card, dated 8/17/60, in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA of the Kaukana (WI) Public Library from Jeanne to the staff of the Burlington (IA) Public Library that reads "Hi, this is my sister's old institution. Thought Mary ought to have it for her collection'...")

Isabel le Mayhew, Seattle, WA. There are several cards to Miss Mayhew in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA including one, dated 7/20/49, of the Oqunquit (ME) Memorial Library from S.D. and C.W. Smith with the message "Here's another library for your collection.

Monson Public Library, Monson, MA. A collection of about 90 cards, many bearing library related messages, is now in the Stevens collection; the cards were collected by three successive librarians of the Monson Public Library - Etta Lewis, Rose Gaouette, and Sylvia DeSantis; all cards have been marked MPL in pencil in the lower right corner of the verso.

Lucille Morsch (Mrs. Werner Ellinger), Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Deceased; her collection is now part of the Stevens collection.

Beulah Nearer, Library, Avon, IL. The library at Avon appears to have collected library postcards since one card, from N. C. Ross dated 1921, in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection carries the message, "Please put this in album. It is different architecture from most that we find."

New Jersey College for Women Library School, New Brunswick, NJ. The L. C. Powell Collection at UCLA contains at least one card that is stamped N. J. C. Library School.

Newark Public Library, Newark, NJ. Several cards in the L. C. Powell Collection at UCLA are addressed to Beatrice Winser at the Newark Public Library; at least one - a card from Miss Alice Wilde to MOM dated 6/27/20 of the Portsmouth (NH) Public Library - has a caption "Libraries - U.S. - N.H. pencilled on the front.

N. R. Parvin, Masonic Library, Cedar Rapids, IA. There is a card, dated 11/08, in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA to the Librarian of the Flemington (NJ) Public Library from Mr. Parvin with a message that reads "Can you not favour us with a postcard of your library building for our collection?"

Evelyn Peters, New Orleans, LA. There is a postcard, dated 4/28/49, to her from Camilla in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA that reads "Hunted all over for this card. I have an appointment to go to the library [St. Louis Public Library] this afternoon."

Martha Pond, Manitowoc Public Library, Manitowoc, WI. There are a number of cards, dating from about 1916, addressed to Miss Pond in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA including one, dated 10/15, from E. R. that reads "Is this the thousandth one you have of a public library?" Other cards, from about 1910, are addressed to her in Antigo and Appleton Wisconsin.

Martin B. Rabkin, The Library Guide Project, Berkeley, CA. Marty, and his wife Anna, are the authors of Public Libraries: Travel Treasures of the West. In the process of writing that book they collected over 5,000 "contemporary pictures" of libraries including postcards.

Miss Mary L. Reynolds, Brockton, MA. She may have collected library postcards since one such card, dated 1909, in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection carries the message, "I couldn't quite make it out on account of postmark but I think you asked for library.")

Lydia G. Robinson, Open Court Publishing Company, LaGrange, IL. There are a great number of library postcards, dating from as early as 1910 to as late as 1949, to Ms. Robinson in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA including ones with such messages as "I don't remember whether we have ever sent you a card of this building" dated 1949."

Preston Sawyer, Santa Cruz, CA. There are several library postcards addressed to Mr. Sawyer in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA.

Christian Schaller, an architect formerly with J. Stewart Roberts Associates of Somerville, MA, assembled a collection of 2,811 library postcards. Schaller sold his collection to Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University Library in 2010. Many of these cards were digitized and are displayed on the Johnson Roberts Associates - Architects website.

George Dana Smith, Fletcher Library, Burlington, VT. Deceased; part of his collection is now in the Stevens collection.

Mrs. Wayne W. Stoler, South Bend, Indiana. A letter from her dated 1/3/63 in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA indicates that "I have a little collection, myself, rather carelessly gathered during the forty years of my library career."

Mrs. Charles H. (Cynthia K.) Symonds, Jr., Beverly, MA. A letter in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA indicates "I have broken up my collection of them [library postcards]... I began this hobby when I graduated from Simmons Library School in 1940 but now I have little room for extras." She enclosed a few cards but also indicated that others had been given to her son for his general postcard collection.

Effie A. Tenney, Public Library, Newburyport, MA. She appears to have collected library postcards since a library postcard addressed to her, dated 1908, now in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection carries the message, "will write when I get there... library card from there."

Mollie Terrell, Carnegie Library, Bradford, PA. There is one library postcard addressed to her, dated 1909, in Marjorie Warmkessel's collection that carries the message, "For your collection."

Mary Anna Tien, Middle Haddam, CT. Mary Anna, who died in 1992, collected postcards of Connecticut libraries.

Robert Trefz, Denver, CO. No longer active; his collection of about 3,000 cards is now part of the Stevens collection.)University Library

Library School Library,University of Wisconsin at Madison, A letter, dated 11/12/62, in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA from Wilma Bennett indicates that this collection had been assembled by Mr. Allez. This is no longer an active collection.

Elizabeth Van Lieuw, Flemington, NJ. There are several library postcards in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA addressed to Miss Van Lieuw including one, dated 11/22/19, that reads "Knew you always liked postals of libraries."

Donald Vincent, Durham, NH. Deceased. Collected New Hampshire library postcards.

Fanni L. Vinton, East Ganville, VT. John Jones has a series of five library postcards mailed to Mrs. Vinton in 1906 which suggests that she was a library postcard collector.

Ella A. Walton, Cambridge, MA. The Harvard College Library has a black slipcase containing over 500 library postcards, of which almost 300 are of Massachusetts libraries, collected by Ms. Walton who may have been a Harvard Library employee. It was donated by her on September 30, 1926 (B7610.22.4F). One card, dated 20 March 1906, is inscribed "For the Walton library collection." See also the entry under Harvard College Library.

Nellie Webb, compiled a collection of library postcards while Director of the Withers Library in Bloomington, Illinois. A significant portion of her collection is now part of the collection of the Johnson Roberts Associates - Architects and is described more fully described on their website.

Anne and Billy Wilkinson assembled a collection of approximately 5,800 library postcards representing libraries during 1900-90. They donated their collection to UCLA's Charles E. Young Research Library Department of Special Collections in 2008-2009 in honor.

Mrs. Charles (Ada) Whiting, Nashua, NH. There are several postcards, dated about 1909, in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA addressed to Mrs. Whiting.

Bessie Whitney, Flemington, NJ. There are several cards addressed to her in the L. C. Powell collection at UCLA including an undated one of the Ward Memorial Library in Fairfield (CT) that reads "Are you still collecting library views?"

Edwina Whitney, Storrs, CT, Miss Whitney, who is deceased, was Librarian at what is now the University of Connecticut from 1900 to 1934; about 40 cards from her collection, which were purchased at an antique show in Coventry (CT), are now a part of the Stevens collection.