Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Public Libraries of Massachusetts
Cities A
Divided from "B" public libraries in June, 2025.
Adams
Still in use, and well-kept by the Town of Adams.
It was built in 1897 as a Civil War memorial, and President McKinley laid its cornerstone.
Curt Teich 'C.T. Photochrom' postcard, likely purchased at Woolworth, and mailed in 1917.
Amesbury
(L) Published by the Leighton and Valentine Co. of New York, with quality similar to the German imports.
(R) Robbins Bros. card, never mailed.
Amesbury was the home of a really eclectic bunch of people, including the poets John Greenleaf Whittier and Robert Frost, as well as Mary Baker Eddy.
Its library building is still in use.
Amherst (Jones Library)
The 'anti-Carnegie' library building, built in the 1920s in a residential design. Enlarged in 1993.
Curt Teich 'Photo-Finish' card published in 1941.
Annisquam Village Library, Gloucester
It's always difficult to know where to place a library, when its municipality became subsumed into another.
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Miss Annie Fisher was instrumental in the development of this library, but several other women have carried on her tradition.
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The postcard's date is unclear, and its reverse is divided oddly. I estimate its age as between 1907 and 1911.
Arlington (Robbins Library)
1892 Italian Renaissance library building. Several additions have been made since then to retain function.
Postcard mailed in 1939.
Ashburnham (Stevens Library)
In 1985, the Library moved from the 1890 building shown to the Dolly Whitney Adams building; just as pretty, nearly as old, and significantly larger.
Beautiful postcard, of the PCK series: mailed in 1910. It was at least three years old at that point, as it has an entire back.
Ashby
This building was a 1901 donation by Edwin Chapman to house the 1874 library. Despite its size. it remains in use.
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The Silvercraft (Dexter Press) postcard bears an image taken by the Frank Mazanec Studio. It was never mailed.
Ashfield (Belding Memorial Library)
Those of you of a certain age may remember Belding silk thread. This is the family, and Milo Belding was the donor. Ever quality conscious, the building's marble was set by Italian workmen that Belding specially hired.
If Belding's generosity wasn't enough, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation was discovered in the library basement. The $105,000 it fetched at auction was a financial help.
The RPPC was never mailed, but at least someone saw fit to annotate it.
Attleboro
Built in 1907 to a MacLean and Wright design, with many subsequent additions. Still in use today.
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L.H. Cooper postcard mailed 1907. He and the N.E. Paper and Stationery Co. were fast off the mark.
Auburndale
Formerly the Auburndale Branch of the Newton Free Library. Non-profit library, funded by donations, since 2009.
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This monochrome, linen finish postcard was made by Colourpicture, of Boston, and dates between 1942 and 1962.
Ayer
George H. Hill postcard, mailed in 1909.
The ca. 1894 library building is still in use, with a 1997 addition.