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
Residence of Chief Justice Marshall, Richmond, Va.
City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Marshall House, Ninth and Marshall Sts. Richmond,…
Note: [Richmond] Times-Dispatch Series of Picture Post Cards; This postcard has an undivided back ; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Residence of Chief Justice Marshall, 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…
Old Residence of Chief Justice Marshall, Richmond…
Note: Series No.601; This postcard has an undivided back ; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Home of Chief Justice Marshall, (9th and Marshall…
Note: Beautiful and Historical Richmond, Va. Series No. 9-D; Postmarked: 1910 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Marshall House
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Home of Chief Justice John Marshall, Richmond, Virginia, Built 1790, Headquarters of the A.P.V.A. City/Loca…
Home of Chief Justice Marshall (9th and Marshall …
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): One of the most interesting landmarks in the City is the old Marshall home, built by the great Chief Justice…
Home of Chief Justice Marshall, Richmond, Va.
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Located upon the north-west corner of Ninth and Marshall Streets in the same Square with the new John Marsha…
Dining Room of Marshall House
1913
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Dining Room in the home of Chief Justice Marshall. The house was built by him about 1790 and is now the prop…
Poe's Desk--Edgar Allan Poe Shrine
1922
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Poe's Desk. The Edgar Allan Poe Shrine, Richmond, Va. Desk used by Edgar Allan Poe while Editor of the 'Sout…
Old Stone House, Garden Front
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): The Old Stone House, Garden Front, Headquarters of the Poe Foundation, Richmond, Virginia Note: 1900 block …
![Old Stone House and 'Enchanted Garden' [no title]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/16626/1/thumbnail.webp)
Old Stone House and 'Enchanted Garden' [no title]
1924
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): 'Enchanted Garden' and Old Stone House of the Edgar Allan Poe Shrine, Richmond, Va. in June. The Old Stone H…
![Edgar Allan Poe Shrine, Richmond, Va. [Loggia and Garden]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/16627/1/thumbnail.webp)
Edgar Allan Poe Shrine, Richmond, Va. [Loggia and…
1924
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): The Loggia and Enchanted Garden, The Edgar Allan Poe Shrine, Richmond, Va., The Loggia is considered of mate…
Washington Headquarters, Richmond, Va.
1904
Note: 1900 block of East Main Street; This postcard has an undivided back ; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
![Old Stone House [untitled]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/16629/1/thumbnail.webp)
Old Stone House [untitled]
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): The Old Stone House, 1916 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia, Edgar Allan Poe Shrine, Published by The Val…
![Old Stone House [untitled]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/16630/1/thumbnail.webp)
Old Stone House [untitled]
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Carry me back to old Virginia. Poe Shrine, at Richmond, Virginia. Erected about 1686, the building is probab…
![Old Stone House [untitled]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/16631/1/thumbnail.webp)
Old Stone House [untitled]
Note: 1900 block of East Main Street; Postmarked: 1907 [written in pen] City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
![Old Stone House [untitled]](https://cdn.yesterdays.maprva.org/images/16632/1/thumbnail.webp)
Old Stone House [untitled]
1922
Note: 1900 block of East Main Street; This postcard has an undivided back ; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Old Stone House, Richmond, Va. Main near 20th.
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): No. 23, Old Stone House, (Main near Twentieth) Richmond, Va. This venerable building, with its weatherworn w…
Washington Headquarters, Richmond, Va.
Note: 1900 block of East Main Street; Postmarked: 1909 City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Washington's Old Headquarters, Richmond, Va.
Note: 1900 block of East Main Street; This postcard has an undivided back ; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Old Stone House (Main near 20th), Richmond, Va.
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): Among the most respectable of 'Modern Antiquities in point of age and appearance, of which Richmond can boas…
Washington's Old Headquarters, Richmond, Va.
1905
Note: 1900 block of East Main Street; Series # 9177; City/Location: Richmond (Va.)
Washington's Old Headquarters, Main Street Near 2…
Card Text \(transcribed from postcard\): This old house, which is now a private museum, was built in 1743, and according to tradition, occupied by Ge…