Today I stumbled on this website: cardcow.com It is densely
loaded with vintage postcards.
Searching under the term Buffalo New York turned up over 600 individual
Buffalo cards that are for sale. I
have a large collection of Buffalo cards, and many of the cards on this site I
have never seen before. It is a
rich source of historic Buffalo images, but the typical asking price here
of almost $15 is a bit steep in my opinion. You will most likely get a better price on eBay but expect
to do a little more work for your purchase. It is still worth browsing. Here are three that caught my eye.
This Tonawanda Pool image is the picture of
Suburban bliss. How could any
1950’s family not want to have such an idyllic neighborhood asset? Can you blame them for moving out
of the crowded, dirty old city? The
back says the pool was built in 1954 for $250,000. That was a whopping sum in those days!
This mysterious image shows a Moonlit view of
the Albright Gallery with the Lincoln Parkway Bridge in the foreground. The bridge still sported its massive
lion statues at the time. I have a
suspicion that the lions were made from plaster and were installed as part of
the Pan Am Expo. Anyone else know
anything about these sculptures?
Different eras had distinct card styles. In the early 20th century, cards had a
painterly quality. Often an artist
actually did paint over a black and white photograph to add color and
drama. They often took license to
change things or cut out undesirable elements to “improve” a
scene. This image depicting the
annual sailboat race in front of the Buffalo Yacht club has a very romantic
feeling. In contrast, this highly
photographic image of Niagara Square represented a new wave in postcards. By the 1950’s new technology and
cultural standards demanded a more realistic depiction of places. I love the saturated color in these mid
century images. Often images of
this era had oddly static compositions. It was common for postcards to be made
form the worst photographs but by their elevation to the printed form and the
passing of time they take on an interesting artistic character.