Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Public Libraries of New York
Cities C-F
Even if one excludes the Carnegie libraries, New York City, and Long Island, there remains an incredible number of library buildings in this state.
Caledonia
A large, frankly overdue, renovation is about to begin on this 200 year old building, which is still in use as a library.
The Eastern Illustrating photo postcard was mailed in 1918.
Cambridge
The building shown is still in use. Large end windows differentiate this from the standard Carnegie plan (Classical Revival Type A).
A.M. Simon card.
Canajoharie (Arkell Memorial Library & Art Gallery)
This unusual, beloved library building is still in use.
(L) Amusingly, the 1937 Curt Teich postcard boasts of...
a full size reproduction of Rembrandt's "Night Watch."
Fire up the Oakland, Ma!
(R) This is a photochrom postcard of the older section of the Library cum Art Gallery.
Canandaigua (Historical Museum and Wood Library)
The Wood Library today appears to be in an older, smaller building. It is neither about Wood nor in a wood building.
Tichnor Quality View postcard, never mailed.
Canton (Benton Library)
(L) The card has a pencil date range as Sept.--May 1917-18.
(R) Photo postcard with nearly illegible caption.
Founded 1887. Built sometime between 1907 and 1910, and expanded in 1956. Renovated in 2006.
Castile (Cordelia A. Greene Library)
An award winning remodel and addition in 2001 allowed this vintage library to remain in use.
(L) Excelsior brand card, possibly the bottom of the barrel for ANC Co.
(R) Bucolic setting, isn't it?
Chappaqua
The Library's history page is not the clearest I've seen, as I don't know it this Building had more additions, or was replaced.
The Dexter Press card, mailed in 1963, bore a cringey complaint that the sender had to cook, as the new maid, fresh from Ireland, didn't know how. There was another complaint about Chappaqua's postcard selection.
Chautauqua (Smith Library)
The Chautauqua Institution was founded in 1874. This library building is still in use: the Library does serve the public.
Another 1937 Curt Teich postcard. Sometimes in deltiology, you hit odd trends with Curt Teich subjects. 1937 must be the year of the library; 1950 seems to be the northern Illinois year of the large letter postcard.
Cherry Valley
Still in use.
The Tichnor Bros. image nearly leaps at you, despite off-register blue ink.
Cold Spring (Butterfield Library)
Basic. Practical. Built on the foundations of an older church in 1925.
It's still in use, but has had funding concerns.
Cooperstown
Tecraft matte finish card.
The Village Library of Cooperstown still occupies this building.
Cortland
1927 building: has undergone multiple renovations over the years, and remains in use.
Surprisingly, the Library's home page features this same postcard. It's a 'C.T. American Art Colored' Curt Teich card, printed in 1929 for the Wm. Jubb Co.
Coxsackie (Heermance Memorial Library)
The building was a bequest by Miss Eleanor Christina Heermance. It opened in 1908 and appears to still be in use as the Heermance Memorial Library.
Curt Teich 'C.T. American Art Card' reprint.
Cuba (Cuba Circulating Library)
Chartered in 1872. The Tudor structure was built in 1924, and expanded between 1997 and 2000. It is still in use: I am impressed how well the addition blends in.
Photo postcard by M.E. Gramlee. It was mailed in 1952.
Dansville
Founded in 1872, per the Library's Facebook page. It has accumulated at least one addition, plus solar panels.
Nice touch, that.
Tichnor postcard, never mailed.
Delmar (Delmar Free Library Association)
100 years old as of late 2013. Now known as the Bethlehem Public Library. Built sometime between 1913 and 1931. Replaced in 1972.
Fate unknown.
Strange building which looks like the cottage-style Sunoco gasoline stations of the East.
The photo card is by the Eastern Illustrating Company of Belfast, Maine.
Deposit
Founded just prior to the stock market crash in 1929. Opened in 1937. Expanded in 1962.
Photo postcard with typed caption.
Dundee
Dundee's library is an exquisite little gem built of a light ocher brick more common to the Midwest. The building is still in use, and doesn't appear to have received any additions.
The Artvue card was mailed in 1941.
Ellenville (Hunt Memorial Library)
This rather grand structure was meant by the Hartshorn heirs and the Hunt family to be a WCTU building, with other functions per Temperance Union discretion. Eventually, the John R. Hunt Memorial Library came to occupy it, after a resident bank was ousted in 1928.
Frank E. Estabrook designed the multipurpose brick building, but by 1975, it no longer sufficed for even the Library
Since 1982, it has passed through several loving hands. It was landmarked in 2005 and houses the Chamber of Commerce. Much restoration has taken place.
The postcard is a Tichnor linen-finish work, probably ca. 1940, and was mailed in 1949.
Elmira (Steele Memorial Library)
The 1893 iteration was housed in the Realty Building (shown here) until 1923. The Chemung County Library District page fails to mention the intervening Carnegie library, which, if you believe Wikipedia, is still in use. (It is, but as the City Hall/Police Station.) The current building was built in 1979.
However, I don't know if the Realty Building still stands.
(L) This is a rather sad postcard. Not only was the caption misspelled as "Steel," it looks like it went through a war.
(R) The interior view is charming, with a drawer or two of the card catalog slightly open, and a bust in the background surveying the reading room.
Message:
Interior of the part of the Steele Mem. Bldg. containing the library. It is my favorite place of recreation when I have time to go there.
Endicott
Ideal Home Library
(L) If this Walter R. Miller postcard were to have been printed by Curt Teich, it would date to 1917. Perhaps the wrought iron fence is another clue to its age.
(R) On the Dexter Press postcard, ca. 1950, photographed by Tegeler and Dailey, there is no fence.
It looks as if the two images were taken 90° apart.
The city is now served by the George F. Johnson Memorial Library, now housed in a 1967 building. I have to credit the Library for its helpful web page.
George F. Johnson Memorial Library
This is Endicott's current library, and the second George F. Johnson Memorial Library. I believe that the first was demolished for this Mid-Century Modern building.
Essex (Grey Stone Library)
Fascinating history before becoming The Belden Memorial Library, officially in 1974.
Robson A. Adel postcard, printed in Germany.
Fleischmanns (Skene Memorial Library)
This could be considered a Carnegie library, in that Andrew Carnegie funded Skene Memorial Library, but as a friend of Dr. Alexander J.C. Skene, and without the expectation of matching municipal funds.
The 1901 Queen Anne/Shingle building was turned over to Fleischmanns, NY in 1928, and is still in use today.
The postcard was postmarked in 1907 as "Griffin Corners," the original municipal name. It was printed in Germany for H. S. Vermilae.
Frankfort
Another attractive small, early 1900s library building next to a building which could have been an early school. It seems to have had some minor renovation for accessibility issues.
The Valentine-Souvenir postcard was very well preserved.
Franklinville (Blount Library)
Began as a Library Society in 1839. With a huge addition, the building is still in use.
The bland monochrome postcard was published by S. K. Simon, and was never mailed.
Frewsburg (Myers Memorial Library)
Founded by a 1928 bequest: built in 1930. With a minor tweak or two in 2004, still in use.
Dexter Press postcard mailed in 1974!
Friendship (Pitt Memorial Library)
Named for William Pitt, oil geologist.
Although the portico is lettered 'Pitt Memorial Library,' the glass window over the door reads 'Friendship Free Library.'
So act sullen, morose, and unhelpful.
Valentine-Souvenir postcard.