Historic Postcards

The History:

The first United States post cards were printed in the 1870s by the government. In 1898 Congress passed the Private Mailing Card Act that allowed private companies to produce cards.

The Collection:

Postcards depicting scenes in California, particularly in the Inland Empire, have been prepared for use by our researchers. Images date from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s.

View of Mt. San Bernardino over orange groves

The Finding Aid:

To use the historic postcard collection use the Finding Aid. (The Finding Aid requires Microsoft Excel or download the free Excel viewer)