Boring Postcards
I have two picture books called "Boring Postcards" in my library. They are filled with images of mundane subject matter or oddly dull compositions. Most are from the 50s or 60s. These postcards, collected into volumes such as these books, become extremely compelling. You begin to wonder about the places and things that they are showing. There must have been something of interest at one time that made them worthy of a printed image that would be mailed off to another place.
Actually, once you begin to study the pictures you find they are not boring at all. They are made with colors that seem to be no longer used, and the quirkily naive photographic compositions have an outsider art quality. The pictures are dense with irony acquired through the passage of time and are quite beautiful in many instances. They offer wonderful snap shots in history - giving a glimpse of what may have been considered important or spectacular in an earlier simpler time.
I also own a very large collection of Buffalo postcards, most of which date back to the turn of the century. A few of the newer cards could be classified as "boring postcards" Including the one pictured here. This is one of my very favorite cards. It shows the cloverleaf of the brand new New York State Thruway as it crosses under what was then Maryvale Drive in Cheektowaga. It was probably taken sometime in the 1950s or early 1960s, prior to construction of the Kensington Expressway which was soon to replace Maryvale. There is so much that is interesting about this picture. Notice the set of houses still located inside the cloverleaf. I wonder how those people felt living there. Did they know that soon the Kensington would come roaring through? Also look closely and you can see the airport in the upper right corner and that the expressway has very little traffic.
What I find most interesting about this picture is the fact that it was taken at all… and then printed for distribution. Just think, this card probably sat on a rack in downtown Buffalo next to postcards of Niagara Falls. This cloverleaf was presented as a worthy subject in the same vein as the mighty Niagara and people purchased it and sent messages with it. Today highways are commonplace. We take them for granted, we use them and we hate them for the traffic jams and the damage they do to neighborhoods. Back when this postcard was for sale highways were seen as a great modern statement of progress. People who sent this card were saying to the world, "Look at Buffalo. Look how progressive it is". This way of thinking, of course, led to the evisceration of the city as newer highways were to follow soon. It is almost certain that at the time of this picture, plans were already in place to cut a highway across Delaware Park and to dig a great trench down the middle of Humboldt Parkway. It is very likely that people looked to those future highway plans as something that would catapult Buffalo to new heights. This postcard is a reminder that what is sold as progress does not always mean that you will progress in a good direction.
Speaking of Humboldt Parkway, are there still plans to downgrade and turn it into a promenade? That would be a sweet move. Then, remove the onramp that is next to Hoyt Lake. That onramp should never have been built there in the first place. Anyone can drive an extra couple blocks to get on that thoroughfare/promenade.
great post, steel! i appreciate the thought and insight you add to such things
A masterpiece!
People seeingly will jump at anything that is new with out much regard to what it is replacing and what its long term consequences are.
As for the interstate system, it is a shame that what was supposed to be used for quick travel between cities turned into a sprawl and traffic generator in the metropolitan areas themselves. But I guess that is what cheap gas and no unified metropolitan planning get you.
Great article and pic. I love even the most mondane photos from the past. Especially of things that are no longer there.
It would be nice if we were able to click on the photo and enlarge it like we used to be able to.
I think any technology could be considered evil.
I have quite an extensive collection - just eight of them are various shots of Johnson Park - can you imagine. The funny thing about this post is the timing. Just last night I sent an e-mail to a friend that had sent me a link to more postcards. Here's what I said:
"I love old postcards. Besides their view into the past, for us, they also contain the spirit of those who sent them, delivered them, and received them. They're good to look at, and even better to hold. :-)"
I really mean that - especially when you have one with a person's message on the back and circles and arrows on the front. One of JP that I have shows these arrows stating that this was the house this person stayed in while working in Buffalo. Now, that's quaint...
Ahh, my old stomping grounds. My hooligan friends and I launched many a bottle onto that stretch of the 90 from the above catwalks - back in our salad days.
Having grown up in that area, I do love the photo. I can't believe there were actually houses in the middle of a cloverleaf! I have viewed old Sanborn fire insurance maps and aerial photos of this area of Cheektowaga, and it's amazing how much the I-90 has changed the landscape. I'm not just talking about cloverleafs (cloverleaves?) and massive expanses of asphalt; but the way that roads were cut in half, rerouted, or swallowed up entirely is amazing.