Early postcard views coincided with a period of growth and boosterism. Many towns produced postcards locally. Views, such as the new high school, a bank, or hotel, though not remarkable, showed off what the town considered its best structures and landmarks. Many of the buildings shown in these early views have disappeared. Historians studying tourism, geography, Main Street U.S.A., and boosterism find them a valuable graphic source.
Genealogists can discover homes, landmarks, or events connected with their ancestors.
News media and museums commonly use postcards for exhibitions, historical displays, and special centennial or anniversary events. Postcard collecting is still very much part of our popular culture. There are local, national, and international postcard collecting organizations that sponsor annual shows for buying, selling, and showing every imaginable type of postcard. Postcards are colorful, inexpensive, easy to find and store, and often have interesting stamps and postmarks. Their messages can transport one instantly into the past.