Postcards are the unsung hero of transverse messaging and information. They are the ancestor of a picture sent via text to let a friend or loved one know that you have arrived or how you are doing. But they are also so much more, including time capsules of interesting locales and evidence of landscape changes. Here at the Michigan State Capitol, our postcard collection features everything from campaign memorabilia to a hefty collection of hundreds of postcards spanning over 100 years.
Most of the exterior postcards are focused the building with a select few looking showing other viewpoints. We also have cards showing a view from the Capitol, which provide interesting vistas and allows us to track other nearby buildings. Interior views provide a glimpse of long-lost spaces, like the state library and the military museum. These scenes can function as a freeze frame that let us simultaneously hold onto our history while bringing these lost places to a modern audience. In the future we will dive into the cards themselves to discover more of the stories they can tell us.
