Rarely Seen Richmond
from Virginia Commonwealth University
A digital collection of over 600 postcard images of Richmond, most dating from 1900-1930, from the James Branch Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives. The intent of the collection is to help document early twentieth century Richmond by displaying a unique collection of images of the city. Many of these images include buildings and structures that either no longer exist or have since been altered. The subject matter of these postcards also lends insight into the social and cultural attitudes of those times. Postcards began to be widely used in the United States soon after the passage of the Private Mailing Card Act in 1898. It freed private publishers from what was considered unfair competition from government issued cards. In the next few years the demand for postcards grew as a craze for collecting them spread throughout the country. Dozens of postcard printers, both American and European, began producing postcard views. This "golden age" of postcard publishing and collecting lasted from 1898 through 1912 when thousands of cards were produced, mailed, and collected by the public. According to figures issued by the U.S. Post Office for fiscal year 1907-1908, 677,777,798 postcards were mailed in the United States in that year. Though the craze for postcards diminished by the time World War I began, postcards continued to be published and collected. One estimate has put the number of Richmond, Virginia postcard views at 2,000. Many of the postcards in this collection were colorized from original black and white photographs. For more information about Virginia postcard history, see Kelly Henderson, "The Art of the View: Picture Postcards of Virginia, 1900-1925," Virginia Cavalcade, Vol. 40, No. 2 (Autumn 1990), 66-73. VCU Libraries originally digitized this collection in 2000. The postcards were scanned by Archivist Ray Bonis, and the metadata was generated by Bonis and then-head of Library Information Services Jimmy Ghaphery. Additional metadata was supplied by Metadata Librarian Mary Anne Dyer in 2008.
Georeferencing Progress
81.7% complete (4 skipped)Georeferenced Images Map
Images
Franklin Street West, Richmond, Va
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, Va.
Note: 100 block of West Franklin Street; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Franklin Street, Richmond, Va.
1905
Note: Series No. 9182; 1000 Block of West Franklin Street; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, Va.
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): This magnificent hotel was first opened to public patronage in 1895; it was erected by the late Maj. Lewis G…
Sevilla Hotel, Grace At Jefferson Richmond, Virgi…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Sevilla Hotel, Located in historic Richmond, Virginia. Near Route 1, North and South. Hotel facilities with …
Glimpse of Broad Street, Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Murphy's Hotel, Richmond, Va.
Note: Printed in Great Britain; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Church Hill Viaduct, Marshall St., 14th to 21st. …
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): In the distance are Monumental and St. Paul's churches, City Hall, Capitol Building and Main Street Depot. L…
East Broad Street, Richmond, Va.
Postmarked: 1909 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Broad Str. Looking West Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
First National Bank Building, 9th and Main Street…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): This magnificent 19 story office building erected in 1912 occupies this former site of the Chamber of Commer…
Watts Hall, Union Theological Seminary, Richmond,…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Union Theological Seminary. This is the oldest and largest Presbyterian Training School for Ministers in the…
Virginia Union University, North Lombardy Street,…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): This Christian institution of learning, chartered in 1896, is under control of the American Baptist Home Mis…
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Interior Sacred Heart Cathedral, Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Interior of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Ri…
Postmarked: 1907 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Interior of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the grandest institution of its kind in the south, is the gift of Mr. and…
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, Va.
Postmarked: 1908 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, Va.
Postmarked: 1913 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Laurel Street.) Ri…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): This splendid edifice, erected at a cost of over $300,000. was the gift of Thomas F. Ryan. It was consecrate…
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, Va.
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Situated in the heart of the residential district in Laurel Street overlooking Monroe Park this magnificent …
Monumental Church, Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)