Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Carnegie Libraries of Ohio
Cities L-M
Lebanon
(L) German-printed card from Fred's Big Store, mailed in 1910.
(R) National Press was to postcards as Yugo was to automobiles.
1903 grant. Opened in 1908. A rear wall collapsed during its renovation, calculated at 1987. It reopened in 1988.
Lima
E.C. Kropp linen finish postcard. There is a large letter postcard by Kropp with this same image.
S.H. Knox postcard.
Card by Webb Book and Bible; mailed 1912.
Beautiful view of the interior, taken from about 20 feet in back of the desk. It's easy to keep a neat desk without labor saving devices. ca. 1907-1915.
Large ($30,000) grant in 1901. One carpenter lost his life during construction.
One of the most Neoclassical looking of all the Ohio Carnegie libraries. It was replaced sometime before 1971.
London
(L) Silver border monochrome card, characteristic of the Wayne Paper Box Co., later the Wayne Paper Box & Printing Co.
(R) Delicate postcard from the Art Mfg. Co., of Amelia, Ohio.
(R) From the back of the DuKane Press card:
In 1902, Miss Sallie Dooris, Mrs. Mary Florence and Mrs. Jeannette Watson urged Mr. Andrew Carnegie to build a Library for the Town of London. The building was completed and opened January 18, 1905, with 417 books. By 1915 there were 6,662, 1970, 39,014.
Lorain
Hello-o-o back there!
1902 Carnegie grant. After a period of abandonment (1957 - 1970), the Carnegie building was renovated for use as the Lorain Parks and Recreation Department.
(L) Fred Dinkel card, printed in Germany.
(R) Attractive Rotograph card, printed in Germany. Notice the man proudly displaying the bike rack. One might wonder if he had made it himself.
(L) Mailed in 1911 to Miss Delight Mitchell.
(R) Interesting Hugh C. Leighton card showing an insider's view of the reference desk.
And what was it like then?
No phone.
No computer.
Lots of books.
Mansfield
(L) Litho-Chrome card, without chimneys, mailed in 1909.
(R) This Tom Jones card must have been produced shortly after the library's construction. There doesn't even seem to be a lawn, much less landscaping.
1903 grant. Still in use.
Marietta
Established in 1829. In contrast, the Carnegie grant was rather late: 1913. Then the library was built (by Levi Cowell) on an Indian mound, which seems a little disrespectful (by George Walter Hovey, architect). Today, it's the hub of the Washington County Public Library System.
K-Win card, never mailed but still bedraggled.
Marion
Late 1902 Carnegie grant. Believed to be a Richards, McCarty & Bulford plan. Replaced in 1978, and the building is part of the Trinity Baptist Church complex today.
Sorry, but if this is a Beaux-Arts library as the Wikipedia article claims, I'll eat my hat.
(L) Attractive H.H. Hamm/Curt Teich American Art card, probably dating from between the world wars.
(R) Tichnor Quality View linen finish card.
Maumee
On the site of Dudley's Massacre (War of 1812).
A September 1915 grant puts Maumee's Carnegie building at the new end of the endowment timeline.
The library has been engulfed into the Toledo-Lucas County Library juggernaut, but the building is still in use as a branch. Notice the adaptation on the right side, with short windows, probably meant to better accomodate stacks.
There's a reason why I suspected that the righthand postcard weren't of a Carnegie building: this view shows the library building before the 1930 renovation.
Another major renovation came in 2001.
(L) Auburn Greeting Card was mailed in 1936. I wonder if the card was on a clearance rack?
(R) Silvercraft card, by Dexter Press.
Miamisburg
From this 1915 postcard, I certainly would not have guessed that the building was built of dark brown brick.
I was hesitant whether to place this library, built from a late 1908 grant, under Dayton. The building became a school district library in 1923, and the library became part of the Dayton Public Library system in 1966. Dayton-Metro replaced it in 1981.
What a pleasant surprise it was to discover that this building is now a rentable meeting facility.
Wedding reception, anyone?
Middletown
1902 grant, per Bobinski, but the cornerstone, clearly visible on the card, shows 1911. Replaced in 1983, awaiting renovation into a brew pub. Photos don't look promising.
(L) H.H. Hamm card displays an unusual angle of the building, perhaps meant to display the cornerstone.
(R) Kraemer Art card mailed in 1912.
Milan
Now the Milan-Berlin Township Public Library.
1911 grant. Still in use.
Can we have an Eighth Prairie Sister?
(L) E.C. Kropp card makes the library look like a parsonage.
(R) RPPC, mailed in 1920, shows a lovely example of Prairie architecture.
(L) The Rich-Holt Co. calls this building the 'First Small Carnegie Library.'
(R) The Milan Ledger, publisher of this card, calls this the 'First Small Carnegie Library,' also.
Usually chrome postcards aren't anything to write home about, but these are impressive images of the library.
