The majority of the postcards in the Milwaukee Postcard Collection are the standard
size of 3½” x 5½”. They consist of postcards from all eras. Early postcards are
usually lithographs and many of these are fully colored. Early on, the postcards
also existed in photographic form. Many of these were everyday photos that were
printed on postcard stock and are in black and white. Full color postcards as they
are thought of today, became popular in the 1950s. Also included in the collection
are a number of oversized postcards, which are considered to be anything larger than
the standard size. The collection also contains a number of folding souvenir cards.
These can be collections of postcards that are printed on a continuous sheet of
paper and folded, usually in accordion style, and typically stored in their own
envelope or paper container. These can also be a panoramic view printed onto one
large piece of cardstock and folded into multiple parts that end up being
approximately postcard sized. The postcards are not dated, but presumed from circa
the late nineteenth century to about the 1960s. The collection has images featuring
Milwaukee architecture, businesses, bridges, churches, clubs, schools, fountains,
harbor, rivers, parks, transportation, streets, and other areas of interest.
