Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Public Libraries of New York
Long Island
Includes Queens' non-Carnegie grant buildings.
Babylon
Founded in 1895. Replaced.
Tomlin Art Card, with Nov. 8, 1943 date in pencil.
Bay Shore
Replaced.
Tomlin Art Card, which touts the town more than the library shown.
Bridgehampton (Hampton Library)
Opened 1876. Modeled after William Cullen Bryant's home: he also served as the original selector.
It took until 2008 before an expansion became necessary.
The C.E. Wheelock postcard was mailed in 1906.
East Hampton
It bore (pre-additions) a solid resemblance to Highland Park, Illinois' Carnegie building.
The Library's web site describes it as 'Neo-Elizabethan.' It was built in 1912, with Aymar Embury serving as its architect.
The 'Eagle Quality' card was mailed in 1937.
Freeport
(L) Tichnor Quality View mailed in 1941.
(R) Tomlin Art card, easily recognizable by its linen finish and red border.
Dedicated in 1924: expanded in 1959 and 1982. Still in use. The architect of the Beaux-Arts building was Charles Hart.
Greenport (Floyd Memorial Library)
(L) Monochrome postcard.
(R) Tomlin Art Card. What else could it be?
Still in use, with addition(s).
Huntington
(L) Card by unknown German printer.
(R) Dexter Press postcard showing a Girl Scout promotional sign of some sort.
The statue is of Nathan Hale.
Apparently this Tudor building has been replaced.
Jamaica (Queens Borough)
7 Queens Library branches are Carnegie buildings. This is not one, and it appears to have been replaced. I don't believe it is still extant.
This is a A. Biren card, mailed in 1919.
Oceanside
From the card reverse:
The Oceanside Free Library was established in 1938, in a one-room building on Poole Street.
The existing building on Davison Avenue was dedicated in 1959.
The increased circulation ranks Oceanside 7th among 53 libraries in Nassau County.
The book collection numbers over 90,000 volumes. Among the services of the library are special programs and films, children's story book hours, large-type (sic) books, microfilm, college and career catalogs, phonograph records, and meeting room facilities.
Stylistically, this card resembles motel postcards from the mid-1960s. It was printed by Economi-Color Co., a local printer selected by the Oceanside Board of Trade.
In use, with a possible addition.
Port Jefferson
This 1924 building, the third location in the Library's history, has had additions in 1942, 1967, 1996, and 2003; yet was added to the National Register of Historic places in 2005.
This is a Tomlin Art Postcard,
Sag Harbor (The John Jermain Library)
(L, below) Publisher unknown.
(R) Chrome Tomlin card, mailed in 1964.
1910 Classical Revival building, funded by Mrs. Russell Sage in memory of her grandfather, for whom the Library was named. (per the John Jermain Memorial Library history page) Its architect was Augustus N. Allen.
Sea Cliff (Stenson Memorial Library)
Built in 1915, this is practically unique, as it formed as a men's library.
Today the building serves Sea Cliff as a Children's Library.
This is a Tomlin Art Card.
Southampton (Rogers Memorial Library)
Replaced.
Tomlin Art Card.
Westbury (Children's Library)
Free-standing children's libraries are surprisingly rare. This building is still in use.
This Tomlin Art Company postcard was never mailed.
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