In today’s age of texting, snapping, tweeting and everything else, the art of postcard writing and its importance to tourism is nearly lost. Growing up in downtown St. Petersburg I remember every shop, drug store, cafeteria, bus station and newsstand selling postcards. Tourists used them to show off the beauty and sometimes oddness of Florida to northern friends and relatives, but more importantly, it was an opportunity to brag that they were spending the winter in the sunshine. And for a city built on tourism, there was no better form of advertising. Many of the early postcards were black & white photographs that were later hand colored prior to printing. They were postcards of parks, hotels, sunsets, palm trees, pelicans, alligators and children riding alligators. The Museum of History is fortunate to hold in its archives thousands of postcards that offer a snapshot of our history. Having a swell time, wish you were here.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History sells reproductions of these classic cards that can still be mailed. To purchase, stop by the Museum shop located at 335 2nd Ave NE. Monday – Saturday from 10am – 5pm and Sunday from 12-5pm.
