Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Public Libraries of Oklahoma
Oklahoma postcards are fairly uncommon in the Chicago area. What I have is scarcely worth a page.
Blackwell
I am thoroughly mystified. The city website has little information, and Google Street View appears to point me to a museum across the street from an abandoned store.
Greycraft postcard, mailed 1949.
Cushing
A beautiful Deco library, this building is still in use.
Seal Photo Service chrome postcard.
Enid
Many postcards are just plumb odd. Someone must have thought the Library's architecture resembled that of the Union Equity Co-Operative Exchange, also of Enid. In addition, a late '50s Rambler is featured in the library photo.
It's a G.S. Bonham Production.
Heavener
Either replaced, or incredibly remodeled.
According to Craig Hall's Flickr page, this was built as a WPA project. The giraffe stone construction is much clearer in his photo.
Curt Teich postcard.
Okmulgee
In use, with an addition.
Postcard by Curt Teich.
Ponca City
(L) Monochrome card, manufacturer unknown.
(R) 1937 Curt Teich postcard using a Harvey Photo. I don't know if there's a Fred Harvey connection or not.
Also a replacement for a Carnegie building, demolished in 1935. This stylish library building is still in use.
Sand Springs
This is a rather architecturally significant structure, according to the Tulsa City-County system history page. Its architect was Otis Floyd Johnson, a member of the Lorado Taft Studios of Chicago.
Tonkawa
The Library was founded in 1927: this building built in 1935. It is still in use.
Curt Teich postcard, originally printed in 1947.
Tulsa
(L) Very harsh Curt Teich view.
(R) Interior view of the Tulsa County Library
This building was dedicated in 1965.
