Postcards of the Past
Thanks to Postcard Collector, one of my new favorite magazines, I've come across several interesting Web exhibits of old postcards. David Clause's Vintage Bethlehem archives more than 300 postcards of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The cards are categorized by location, as well as by subject (such as bridges and waterways and planes and trains). Many of the cards are annotated with historic descriptions of the depicted scene. There should be more local postcard archives like this!

Wait, there are! Casey Weaver has developed a site called Austin Postcard that features old photographs of Austin, Texas. While the initial card-description navigation listings are somewhat daunting, once you're viewing the cards, you can just click through them as a series. The backs of the cards are also included in the collection, which is a nice touch, and Weaver provides rudimentary postmark and publisher information. And the site also collects some historical information about the Congress Hotel, Granite Dam, and other local landmarks.

And closer to home, but not concentrating on antique postcards, the Salem, Massachusetts, Postcard Tour collects almost 45 postcard views of various aspects of the historic city. Every time I've driven through Salem has been a traffic hassle, and I'm not planning on returning any time soon. These postcards will do just fine.