Historic, hand-tinted imagery of Rhode Island's beautiful State Capitol, Roger Williams Park, and Narragansett Bay illuminate the heritage of Providence. Over 300 vintage, hand-tinted postcards transport readers to through the first half of the 1900s, and serve as introduction to the city's rich history.

"When a young woman finds a postcard in an antique store with her grandmother's handwriting and a mysterious message, she has to reinvent her perceptions of her family. Set in Providence, Rhode Island, the novel is told in alternating points of view and in two time periods following three generations of Maguire women as they experience the ever-changing city around them" -- abstract.

This volume offers a glimpse at what Providence citizens found important, funny, and poignant during the early 20th century, when postcards were a popular medium of communication. Within Providence, people frolic during Old Home Week and enjoy the entertainment of the WJAR Kiddie Revue. Important landmarks like the Brown & Sharpe and Gorham companies stand proudly when they were the largest toolmaker and silver maker, respectively, on the planet. Views of buildings long gone but fondly remembered, such as the Outlet Store and the E. F. Albee Theater, are also displayed. Through stunning postcards, readers will delight in seeing more than 200 fantastic views of this fascinating city.

Postcard, 1908 May 20, not postmarked, to "My Dear Mother" from George Hill and his wife, Mary Hill, of Providence, Rhode Island. Correspondence transmits author opinions about forthcoming Presidential election, with a passing comment to a "panic" in 1893, as well as family greetings and other personal matters. Postcard graphic features the Main Street Bridge and Falls in Pawtucket, R.I. Contains accompanying genealogical research added by the donor.

The Rhode Island Postcard Collection contains postcards and viewbooks with images related to geographic locations, buildings, organizations and people in the State of Rhode Island.

Downtown Providence, Rhode Island, became an important business center in New England beginning in 1866 due to an increase in immigration, urbanization, municipal planning, public and private investments, and new technologies. The business buildings of the past, some of them gone, still coexist with the modern structures of today in the 21st century. Louis Azar II chronicles the history of the commercial downtown with historic postcards and present-day photographs from his collection along with images from the Providence Public Library and research from the Rhode Island Historical Society.