My Genealogy Hound

Vintage Postcards, Historic Photos and Images

Why are vintage postcards and historic photographs on a genealogy website?

To some, vintage postcards and historic photographs might seem like an odd fit for a genealogy website. We would contend that they are a perfect fit. Here is why: Postcards and photos bring to life the time of years gone by. Imagine if you could step back in time more than 100 years and view the world as your ancestors saw it. Postcards and photos show the very streets they traveled, the courthouse where official business took place, the schoolhouse where they or their children attended, the hospital where births and deaths and various events between took place, the factories where they were employed, the business buildings where they made purchases, the churches where they worshipped, and so much more. Postcards and photos picture the very world where they lived day to day life and are the perfect means of seeing those early day scenes exactly as they saw them.

To be sure, the record of life as recorded on postcards and historic photos can be somewhat spotty in some locations. Very small, rural areas in the mid-west to western regions may be little recorded. Other regions, especially in the northeast and New England states, have excellent representation with multiple views. Many larger cities from across the nation have literally thousands of views available.

Over the course of the next few months, we will be adding tens of thousands of postcard and photo views from all across the nation. At first, the majority of the collection will focus on postcards and photos from between 1900 and 1920. Most of the buildings pictured were built years before that time with some postcard and photo views in eastern areas showing homes and buildings that date back as far as the early 1700's. In addition to postcard views, a wide variety of vintage photographs and engravings will also be included. Also, there will be occassional modern day photographs to supplement and expand the collection. The project will not be finished any time soon, it will be an ongoing, continually expanded resource.

We think you find it an interesting journey into the past, into the very time and places of our ancestors lives.

Additional historic photographs and vintage postcards (including multiple additional views for each topic or location) will be added frequently so check back often.

Click on any state name below to view the vintage postcards and historic photos currently available for that state:

(See the link at the bottom of this list for all states not listed here)