Currently Installed Postcards of Petersburg Historical Signs
Welcome to Postcards of Petersburg! This website is dedicated to revealing the history of the city through postcards. There have been many postcards produced since the late to early 1900s of the city’s history, commerce, and activities. The reason for so many is that Petersburg has been an important center of commerce owing its very existence to the buying, selling, and trading of goods. Thanks in large part to the Appomattox River.
Peter Jones’ Trading Post was the first nonmilitary establishment and ultimately the source of the city’s name. Before railroads dominated the transportation of goods in and out of the city, the Appomattox River and its man-made canal were the primary means of transportation as far back as 1745, that’s 39 years before the city was incorporated.
Along with commerce, the city has a rich history that coincides with the first settlers to North America. The Revolutionary War was fought here and the American Civil War concluded here with the 9-month siege of Petersburg. The underground railroad passed through the city on its way to the north and freedom from enslavement.
Due to these circumstances, Petersburg was a prosperous and progressive city in many ways. The city’s history made it a popular tourist destination and stopover for those traveling before the days of the interstate. These factors made it a perfect subject for postcards.
Postcards of the city started to be produced around the year 1900 which is considered the beginning of the golden age of postcards. Billions were sent each year in the United States and billions more worldwide. The popularity was so widespread that many newspaper articles and satirical writers bemoaned the popularity of collecting and sending postcards.
We can be thankful for this popularity as it leaves us a wonderful visual history of the city of Petersburg!
The Postcards of Petersburg project will draw attention to this history. Fourteen postcards have been selected to be featured as historical signs at or near the location the postcard depicts. Once you find a Postcards of Petersburg historical sign you will be given the opportunity to see the city as it is was a century or more ago and how it appears today.
As these historical signs are produced and installed, a corresponding button will be added to the top of this page.
Because there are hundreds of postcards of Petersburg, there is also a map that shares a growing collection of these postcards pinned to the location that it depicts. Much time and effort is devoted to restoring the postcards to their original condition. Yet, I make sure not to erase the print errors or marks common to the printing methods of the time.
As postcards are obtained they are restored and added to the map. There is also ongoing research into the historical background of each postcard image that will eventually be added to the website. Please enjoy a look back into the visual history of the city of Petersburg!
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