Oxford, Michigan

Here are a couple of real photo cards from Oxford, Michigan.  These were printed by Kruxo between 1911 and 1922.  Current views of the street don't look much different; it would appear that most of the old buildings have been preserved.

The message to Olive Martin reads:

Dear Mother

just a few lines. Did you get the box with the quilt in it. Jud (?) has been sick in bed with gall stones just able to sit up a little to day. Hope this finds you both well

Ans. soon

Edith

This one is labeled C.L. Randall's Residence.

Rochester, Michigan

Here are some real-photo postcards of Rochester, Michigan.

In case you're wondering what makes a real-photo postcard different from any other postcard, here's an explanation:

In 1903, Kodak introduced a camera that took postcard size photographs. Shortly thereafter, they started offering a service called Real-Photo Postcards that enabled anyone to create a postcard from any photograph they took. These cards allowed for rare and candid views that you wouldn't get with a commercial postcard. There are other postcards that resemble real-photo postcards, but you can generally tell the difference by looking for the tiny dots on the mass-produced ones. Real-photo cards, on the other hand, will be smooth.

Thanks to Rod Wilson, President of the Rochester-Avon Historical Society for information on these cards.

The picture shows the Homecoming crowd on Main Street in Rochester. This celebration took place on July 30 and 31, 1914. Main Street was paved with bricks two years later and a second set of tracks was added for the Detroit Union Railroad. According to Rod Wilson, the interurban railway met its demise in 1931.

The text of the card reads:

Dear Mother -  I arrived O.K. and have been busy for awhile and will tell you all when I see you

hope you are well + alright

ans soon,

daughter Emma

address Edith address

The second card shows some of the houses on North Main Street and the streetcar tracks. There is no text on the back. Rod Wilson tells me that these houses are still standing.

 

If you're interested in the history of Rochester, Michigan, be sure to check out the Remembering Rochester blog.

Streetcar Sundays - Detroit without Automobiles

Just in case you missed last Sunday, I will be posting a street scene featuring streetcars every Sunday. Last week was Boston, This week it's Detroit, Michigan.

Detroit was a transportation hub long before the automobile. At the turn of the century Detroit was also known as the "Paris of the West" because of its beautiful architecture. Henry Ford built his first automobile here in 1896 and founded the Ford Motor Co. in 1904.  However, there is not a single automobile on the Detroit streets of  this picture, only streetcars and horse-drawn carriages.

The card was sent in 1907 and the message on the front reads:

How are you all. Maggie and I here for a few days.

4/22/07 Charles