Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Public Libraries of Texas
Cities A-F
Compared to other southern states, Texas libraries have been memorialized on many postcards. By some statistical quirk, the majority of my cards falls in the first quartile of the alphabet.
Alice
The Mission-style building housed both the Public Library and the Chamber of Commerce. Today, the entire county is served; I hope from a different building.
The Don R. Bartels chrome postcard was mailed in 1964.
Amarillo (Potter County Library)
Replaced: likely demolished. There are four branches to the system.
Commercialchrome postcard, annotated 1927.
Beaumont (Tyrrell Library)
Still standing.
Verily, it was built as a church in 1903. I don't know how a congregation could outgrow this in 25 years.
First this served as the public library, then it became a historical/genealogical library, according to Texas Escapes. Where to categorize this Curt Teich linen finish postcard is a real dilemma, as it really fits neither public nor special exactly.
I've been to Beaumont, and must have thought that this was just another church.
Although the most recent auto I can identify is a 1949-50 Ford, this Curt Teich postcard in 'chrome' finish was printed in 1955.
Borger (Hutchinson County Library)
Two library web sites, no historical information.
You want Mission? We got Mission right here on this photo postcard.
Burkburnett
A 1967 testament to civic involvement (Council of Federated Study Clubs, Friends of the Burkburnett Library), and to funding by the General Federation of Women's Clubs and the Sears Roebuck Community Improvement Program, plus the City and the Texas State Library.
One more donation, and they could have had windows.
Card from the Southwestern Stationery & Book Supply.
Conroe (Montgomery County Library)
I believe this to be either the 1950-1957 iteration of the Library, in a converted automobile showroom, or possibly the 1957-1994 version before the 1976 renovation. The 1957 version had a serious fire in 1980.
The only location clue is the US 75 route shield, which definitively, with aid from the Montgomery County Memorial Library System web site, places this to be the 1950-1957 version.
Now I wonder what brand of autos were sold there? My guess is either Kaiser-Frazer or Crosley.
The photo post card was mailed in late 1958, and its sender mentions attending a book review at 'the library pictured.'
So now I don't know what to think.
Dallas
They sure tried hard with the exterior. Blame Curt Teich for the 26 star flag (L). The late linen finish card was printed in 1956.
(R) The Plastichrome card shows a side view and the Statler Hilton behind.
This building replaced the city's Carnegie library, which was razed in 1954.
I do not know who the guy embedded in the black wall was. It's not Han Solo. Sorry.
El Paso
Someone, please tell me that this is a branch.
Schaaf Post Card, produced in New Mexico.
Fort Worth
This is a massive looking repository, built of limestone and Texas Leuder stone in 1939, according to the E.C. Kropp card which was mailed in 1944.
Not that I trust E.C. Kropp for my geological needs.
Replaced a Carnegie building in 1939, and, in turn, replaced in 1978. From what I can figure from Google Maps, I believe that this building was also demolished.
At least the Fort Worth Public Library Foundation celebrates the Carnegie legacy with a Cigar Smoker.
According to the Metropolitan Post Card reverse:
Two municipal buildings, completed in 1938, occupy parts of Hyde Park, which, in early days, was the location of one of Fort Worth's wagon roads. The Fort Worth Public Library has over 150,000 volumes. It is divided into departments. In connection with the music department, there is a sound proof room containing radio, record machine, and piano.
According to the Western Fotocolor card reverses, the same for both cards:
*Scenic Skyscraper Backdrop
*PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING
*Fort Worth, Texas
This is one of the most beautiful library buildings in the State of Texas. It contains a collection of more than 350,000 volumes and serves Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
Constructed in 1938, it is a downtown center for study, research, and leisure time reading. The 150,000 card holders borrow 1,000,000 books each year.
Fredericksburg (Pioneer Memorial Library)
I believe that this building predated the building shown below. Really, all I have to go by is the line printed on the reverse:
Vereins Kerin - Colorful landmark now used as a museum and library but once was located as the center of the community, being used as a church, meeting house, and fort.
The chrome postcard is a View O Gram, and there isn't a car, a zip code, a zone code, or anything I need to date it.
This building was built as the Gillespie County Courthouse in 1882.
According to the card back, its designer was Alfred Giles. Mr. & Mrs. Eugene McDermott, founder of Texas Instruments, helped save and restore it. The Library moved in in 1967.
A Mike Roberts Color Production. And here you thought it was just a chrome postcard.