Vintage Cleveland Postcards from the 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s

[Florida Guy]

Okay, not exactly photos but I don't think anyone will be complaining. I bought these old linen postcards on Miami Beach on Lincoln Road's Antique & Flea Market, 100 of them for $5. They have that paper linen smell, the smell of Grandma's Christmas decorations.

I cropped the titles and boarders, the original titles are in text above each card. The reverse side of the card is shown where there are some interesting comments about the city during this time period.

29 Public Square and Terminal Group, Cleveland, Ohio


Reverse side: I just like the stamp on this one; I forgot that there was a gift shop on the observation floor.


19 Lorain-Carnegie Bridge and Union Terminal, Cleveland, Ohio


C.6 – High Level Bridge Looking East Showing Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio


48 West Approach and Underpass, Main Avenue Bridge, Cleveland, Ohio


C.31 – Main Avenue Bridge Looking West, Cleveland, Ohio


6 Detroit Superior High Level Bridge and Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio


Public Square Facing East, Cleveland, Ohio


C.2 – Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio


63 Union Terminal Tower Showing Solders’ and Sailors’ Monument, Cleveland, Ohio


C.28 – Aerial View of Downtown, Cleveland, Ohio


C.3 - Aerial View of Downtown, Cleveland, Ohio, Showing Terminal Tower and Terminal Group


Reverse side:  I could only imagine what happened on trains back in the day; alright Margie!


73 Cleveland Public Auditorium, Showing Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio


3 Interior of the Cleveland Public Auditorium, Cleveland, Ohio


28 Night Scene, Hotel Cleveland and Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio


27 Unique Shot of Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio


211: Public Square Showing Terminal Tower at Night, Cleveland, Ohio


38 Unique View, Terminal View and Old Stone Church, Cleveland, Ohio


C.39 Hotel Cleveland, Terminal Tower and U.S. Post Office, Cleveland, Ohio


32 Hotel Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio


26 New U.S. Post Office and Terminal Tower, Cleveland, Ohio


Reverse side


C.7 – Bird’s-Eye View of Cleveland City Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio


94 – Bird’s-Eye View of Rockefeller Park, Cleveland, Ohio


Reverse side


97 Fine Arts Garden and Lake at Art Museum, Cleveland, Ohio


16 Lake at Wade Park, Showing Severance Hall and Lakeside Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio


34 University Circle, Showing Lakeside Hospital and Severance Hall, Cleveland, Ohio


92 James A. Garfield Memorial, Cleveland, Ohio


57 Fountain and Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio

[MyTwoSense]

lovely.  I hope the young'ins can appreciate these.  I wish RTA's shelters on public square looked like the shelters from the 20's

[KJP]

Awesome set!! And you bought all these for $5?? WOW!

And I love the comments on the reverse side. Those are just as enjoyable as the fronts.

[eastvillagedon]

thanks, these are great! The Cleve. Public Auditorium pic brings back memories of hearing the Metropolitan Opera there on a class trip (they used to come to Cleveland every spring). It was Beethoven's Fidelio and we were something like seventy rows back—not exactly the most user-friendly conditions for opera appreciation—then again neither was Fidelio

[conovercourt]

Thanks for sharing these.

Even before Rob's and my time ...

[ColDayMan]

Cool!

[DJ Orion]

I love old postcard collections.  It's interesting to see some from different cities.  Thanks!!

[JDD941]

ON pic C28..I don't understand?  How did people come downtown because there didn't seem to be enough surface parking lots!    Also, in some of those other pics...what were those crazy things that carried people around the city on some sort of rails?....

[mrnyc]

wonderful floridaguy!

i used to pick up these postcards at the late, lamented chelsea fleamarket here in ny for some change or a buck or two. we had some postcard threads, but sadly they were lost in the server problems.   

below a few i had found -- but you certainly did a much better job of scanning and posting about them than i did:

[SFSpike]

Great collection, and a steal at $5.  Really shows how dynamic the city was in the 30s.

[peabody99]

Those are quaint. As KJP mentioned it is the comments that make them even better. I thought I finally found an avatar in the one with the flowers in the flats looking toward the high level bridge, but I could not resize it.  This new softare is killing me.

[UrbanSurfin]

What a great deal for $5! I prowl flea markets and antique shops and like to pick up linen postcards, but I've never seen 100 for $5. I's far more common to see $5 apiece.

[ink]

Great stuff!

I should scan and post my Hamilton collection sometime; I've wasted so much money on ebay...