Southern History Book of the Month: Greetings from Alabama: A Pictorial History in Vintage Postcards
by Mary Anne Ellis, Southern History Department, Central Library
Greetings from Alabama: A Pictorial History in Vintage Postcards
From the Wade Hall Collection of Historical Picture Postcards from Alabama
Wade H. Hall with Nancy B. Dupree and Christopher Sawula
Remember postcards? They don’t get much attention now when you can take a selfie with your smartphone and send it to your friends so they have instant coverage of your vacation. But this time of year I always think of the family trips we used to take in an era before the new school year started in August, and Greetings from Alabama is a nostalgic look into a time when postcards were treasured souvenirs.
Remember the Wigwam Village on the Bessemer Super Highway? There are now few examples left of this charming motel chain, but the postcard of Wigwam Village no. 5 will give you a look at how it was set up and why children probably clamored to stay there. For the dedicated road trip fan who seeks out unusual accommodations, there are still Wigwam-style lodgings available; one of these is on the famed Route 66. But if you prefer fancier surroundings, take a look at the shot of the Thomas Jefferson Hotel in Birmingham, complete with its rooftop docking station supposedly intended for airships—a memento from a time when no one could foresee the Hindenburg disaster.
Along with famous buildings and monuments there are also quiet rural shots in these postcards. One that tugs at my heart is a scene of the Magnolia River in Baldwin County, Alabama—the setting for many of our family vacations. But not far from that page is a grim reminder that the warm months lasting into the fall are also hurricane season; there is a card depicting the wreckage of St. Anthony Street in Mobile after the September 27 hurricane in 1906.
Hall’s book is organized by counties, along with sections that are simply noted as “South Alabama” or “Central Alabama.” It is a great example of what I call a “browse” book; you can open it anywhere and find something interesting, skipping around as it pleases you. The date range is from the 1800s well into the 20th century and it’s fascinating to compare old structures with their present-day appearance (or absence) and speculate about what might be written on the backs of some of the cards.
I still buy—and send—postcards when I travel. After a look through Greetings from Alabama you may want to do the same. Just be sure to keep some of the best for your own personal collection.
For more information:
Wade Hall Postcards at Troy University
Greetings from Alabama on Alabama Public Radio
Wigwam Motel at Birmingham Rewound
1906 Hurricane in Mobile
“Hindenburg Crash: The End of Airship Travel”
Thomas Jefferson Tower—Restoration
From the Wade Hall Collection of Historical Picture Postcards from Alabama
Wade H. Hall with Nancy B. Dupree and Christopher Sawula
Remember postcards? They don’t get much attention now when you can take a selfie with your smartphone and send it to your friends so they have instant coverage of your vacation. But this time of year I always think of the family trips we used to take in an era before the new school year started in August, and Greetings from Alabama is a nostalgic look into a time when postcards were treasured souvenirs.
Remember the Wigwam Village on the Bessemer Super Highway? There are now few examples left of this charming motel chain, but the postcard of Wigwam Village no. 5 will give you a look at how it was set up and why children probably clamored to stay there. For the dedicated road trip fan who seeks out unusual accommodations, there are still Wigwam-style lodgings available; one of these is on the famed Route 66. But if you prefer fancier surroundings, take a look at the shot of the Thomas Jefferson Hotel in Birmingham, complete with its rooftop docking station supposedly intended for airships—a memento from a time when no one could foresee the Hindenburg disaster.
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| Wigwam Village no. 5 |
Along with famous buildings and monuments there are also quiet rural shots in these postcards. One that tugs at my heart is a scene of the Magnolia River in Baldwin County, Alabama—the setting for many of our family vacations. But not far from that page is a grim reminder that the warm months lasting into the fall are also hurricane season; there is a card depicting the wreckage of St. Anthony Street in Mobile after the September 27 hurricane in 1906.
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| Magnolia Springs before... |
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| ...and after a 1906 hurricane. |
Hall’s book is organized by counties, along with sections that are simply noted as “South Alabama” or “Central Alabama.” It is a great example of what I call a “browse” book; you can open it anywhere and find something interesting, skipping around as it pleases you. The date range is from the 1800s well into the 20th century and it’s fascinating to compare old structures with their present-day appearance (or absence) and speculate about what might be written on the backs of some of the cards.
I still buy—and send—postcards when I travel. After a look through Greetings from Alabama you may want to do the same. Just be sure to keep some of the best for your own personal collection.
For more information:
Wade Hall Postcards at Troy University
Greetings from Alabama on Alabama Public Radio
Wigwam Motel at Birmingham Rewound
1906 Hurricane in Mobile
“Hindenburg Crash: The End of Airship Travel”
Thomas Jefferson Tower—Restoration
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