Vintage Postcards: A Look at the History of Miami Florida
With the arrival of railroads and automobiles in the early 1900s, Florida took its place as a cultural melting pot and quirky vacation destination. From historic St. Augustine to tropical Key West, one of the truest portrayals of early Florida is its postcards. For a selection of reminders of kitschy motels, lush tropical forests, and roadside attractions, check out eBay's charming postcards of the hotels in Miami, Florida, and the rest of the state.
What themes were featured on postcards between the 1920s and the 1960s?One of the earliest mementos of Florida's finest hotels showed the same design on every postcard - a photo of the hotel encircled by alligators. Other favorites included Marilyn Monroe-types with colorful parrots, sunsets on palm tree-lined beaches, and spacious groves of orange trees under sunny skies. Historic sites like Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth and Old St. Augustine were classics, and the addition of Disney World to the Orlando swamplands brought Mickie Mouse and EPCOT-themed scenes.
What makes postcards of Miami, Florida, hotels so collectible?Miami, Florida, was a haven for refugees from the cold North, and its hotels welcomed travelers with a unique style of hospitality. Guests bought postcards for souvenirs and sent them to friends and family to chronicle their journeys. The hotels in Miami offered perfect specimens of 1920s architectural trends and became symbols of a new and leisurely lifestyle. After 1963, hotel postcards with a Miami, Florida, zip code became status symbols for visitors to send back home. Iconic scenes of sunny Miami, Florida, weather and landscapes like these can be found on eBay. Some of the types of new and used collectible postcards from Miami, Florida, include the following:
- Linen postcard of the Art Deco Hotel Cardoza in the 1940s
- Linen postcard of 41st Street Bridge, Indian Creek, Miami
- Chrome postcard of Scotty's Drive-In Barbecue in Miami
- Postcard of Lummus Park and Public Bathing in Miami postmarked in 1943
Linen postcards of Miami, Florida, hotels, printed in the United States from the 1930s until the 1950s, featured a cloth-like textured surface. They were not made from flax, but they contained a high rag content of cotton fibers. Until the 1930s, it was too expensive to produce embossed prints. Linen postcards were known for their soft focus and saturated colors. Chrome postcards, on the other hand, were made after 1939 and had a shiny finish. The name comes from Kodachrome, and the glossy finish is still in common use.
Determining the condition of a postcardThe physical condition of a postcard is described as mint, near mint, excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. The tiny lines or cracks in the finish of vintage postcards is known as crazing. Postcards that have a cancellation mark are labeled as postally used.