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
Murphy's Hotel, Richmond, Va.
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): One of Richmond's leading hotels in the heart of the city and the starting point of the Gray Line Sight Seei…
![Virginia School Supply Co. [no title]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/17090/1/thumbnail.webp)
Virginia School Supply Co. [no title]
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): [Information on front of card]: The Largest Building in the South or North devoted exclusively to school sup…
Broad Street, Richmond, Va.
Note: This postcard has an undivided back -- Postcards without a dividing line on the back of the card were published in the U.S. between 1901 and 19…
Jewish Synagogue (Franklin and Ryland St.) Richmo…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Beth Ahaba ('House of Love,') the beautiful Jewish Synagogue located at Ryland and Franklin Streets, was ded…
All Saints Episcopal Church, (Franklin St.), Rich…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): This handsome French Gothic building was completed in Jan. 1901, and takes the place of a much more modest h…
Monument Avenue M.E. Church, Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Moore Street Baptist Church, Dr. Gordon B. Hancoc…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., Organized 1875, Moved to 1408 W. Leigh Street in 1908…
Home of Chief Justice Marshall, 9th and Marshall …
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Situated on the N.W. corner of 9th & Marshall Streets, in the same square with the new 'John Marshall High S…
City Auditorium, Richmond, Va.
Note: Located on the 900 block of West Cary Street, this building serves as a gymnasium for Virginia Commonwealth University; City/Location: Richmon…
Main Street west of Post Office, Richmond, Va.
Postmarked: 1909 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Cary Street, Richmond, Va.
Postmarked: 1911 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Franklin Street, W. from Monroe, Richmond, Va.
Note: 800 block of West Franklin Street; Postmarked: 1910 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Broad Street looking East from 6th Street, Richmo…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Broad Street, a shopping center near Monumental Church, Broad Street, which was erected on the site of a lar…
Berry Building, Richmond, Va.
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): The Berry Building (Home of O. H. Berry & Co. Richmond, Va.). This splendid building for many years past own…
![Confederate Soldiers' Home [no title]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/17145/1/thumbnail.webp)
Confederate Soldiers' Home [no title]
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Old Soldiers at Rest and at Play, Confederate Soldiers Home, Richmond, Virginia [drawing] By Emily Glentwort…
![Westhampton College [no title]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/17146/1/thumbnail.webp)
Westhampton College [no title]
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): On the very Western Boundary of the City stands the new Richmond College at Westhampton. [drawing] by Luzell…
![Richmond Skyscrapers near Main Street [no title]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/17147/1/thumbnail.webp)
Richmond Skyscrapers near Main Street [no title]
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): In ten years Richmond, Virginia, has grown 20 stories high. [drawing] by Sallie Tazewell Fitzgerald. Note: …
![Grace Avenue [sic], new residential section, Richmond, Va.](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/17151/1/thumbnail.webp)
Grace Avenue [sic], new residential section, Rich…
Note: Grace Street; Postmarked: 1910 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Emancipation Day, Richmond, Virginia
1905
Note: This image was made from a negative of the original black and white image used to make a color postcard. The actual postcard image is not in th…
![University of Virginia, Richmond, Va. [University of Richmond]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/17153/1/thumbnail.webp)
University of Virginia, Richmond, Va. [University…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): University of Richmond -- Founded in 1832, for the first eighty years of its history the University of Richm…
Home of Chief Justice Marshall (Ninth and Marshal…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Situated on the N.W. Corner of Ninth and Marshall Streets, in the same square with the new 'John Marshall Hi…
Murphy's Hotel, Richmond, Va.
Note: This postcard has an undivided back -- Postcards without a dividing line on the back of the card were published in the U.S. between 1901 and 19…
Art Club of Richmond, Va.
Note: This postcard is part of the Adele Clark Papers housed in Special Collections and Archives. The building was located on the corner of Grace and…
![Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson [no title]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/17165/1/thumbnail.webp)
Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson [no title]
[1932]
Note: This postcard is from the Hunter Stagg Papers housed in Special Collections and Archives. This image of Richmond native Bill 'Bojangles' Robins…