University of Michigan Digitizes Over 60,000 Historic Michigan Postcards

Ever since I got really into antique shops, my favorite thing to collect has become postcards. They encapsulate everything I've come to love about history: a photo from a different time, handwriting on the card that gives a snapshot into their life, and seeing cool places. My goal is to create a "postcard wall" eventually, but that won't be complete anytime soon.

It always shocks me just how many postcards are out there. In recent times, they have become a novelty to signify a vacation. But postcards used to be a viable means of communication to stay in touch with friends and family, serving as the historic equivalent of sending a quick text. 

To put into perspective just how historically significant postcards are, the University of Museum has painstakingly digitized a collection of 60,000 postcards dating back to the mid-1800s.

"The Postcard Craze" Goes Digital

The Clements Library at the University of Michigan recently completed digitizing 66,470 postcards from around Michigan, drawn from the David V. Tinder Collection, which is physically housed in 150 boxes at the library. This digitized version enables even more precise filtering of the collection by county, subject, genre, place, and date. Over 4,000 volunteers gave their time to digitize this collection.

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But it was very worth it. This collection is incredible, as it shows the everyday life of Michiganders "straddling rural, agrarian, pre-industrial life and an increase in mechanization, urbanization, and electrification." These postcards now serve as a snapshot of everyday life in ways previously unseen. The entire collection is viewable here.

Grand Rapids in the Tinder Collection

385 of the postcards were categorized as being from Grand Rapids, with many showcasing Fourth of July celebrations, old streets, buildings under construction, workers in their day-to-day activities, and family photos. Also, a bear in a cage, for some reason.

There isn't a specific year associated with this aerial view of Grand Rapids, but it's remarkable to see the city as it was during its heyday of furniture and manufacturing.