Special Collections and University Archives will close at 5pm on Wednesday, November 26th for the Thanksgiving break. We'll reopen Monday, December 1st at 10am.The images here come from the John and Jane Adams Postcard Collection, which is an extraordinary collection for both its size and its scope. The Postcard Collection has over 200,000 rare examples of postcards from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, and not only includes traditional travel-themed postcards, but also a huge, highly varied range of topical postcards. Holiday greetings make up a large portion of this topical series, but postcards are also grouped under interesting headings like "Lovers," "Farming," "Disasters," "Women's Suffrage," and "Political Cartoons." Postcards and similar ephemera can be used as primary sources in a wide range of American historical and cultural research, such as the history of holidays, sentiment, nationalism, feminism, technology, advertising, religion, and travel and tourism.
John and Jane Adams spent a lifetime collecting American ephemera, and donated their incredible collections to Special Collections in the 1980s. Other collections we're grateful to have include the John and Jane Adams Trade Card Collection (coming soon in digital form!), the John and Jane Adams Greeting Card Collection, and the John and Jane Adams Autograph Album Collection. These benefactors are also responsible for a wonderful collection of artwork, as well as the valuable Henry James Book and Manuscripts Collections.