From the 1890s through the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers travelled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating new history of Southwest Georgia showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available.

In the early 1900s, America was swept up in the postcard craze. All over the country, people seized on these charming snapshots of life as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family, as well as seeing strange and exciting parts of the world.

Troup County in Vintage Postcards traces a major period of growth and development for this Georgia community, from the late 19th through the mid-20th century. Snapshot glimpses of history preserved on postcards reveal the second courthouse, which burned in 1936; the textile mills that opened at a rapid pace as the county entered the era of the "New South;" the early days of LaGrange Female College, which became co-ed in 1954; Southern Female College, which closed in 1919; Ferrell Gardens, which began in 1832 and is now a landmark in the county; as well as scenes of schools, churches, homes, farms, and businesses.

Founded in 1828 as a planned city by the Georgia Legislature, Columbus prospered due to its location on the Chattahoochee River. Industry sprang up along the shores of the Chattahoochee and shaped Columbus's identity as one of Georgia's premier cities. Today a thriving metropolis, it is the Columbus of yesteryear that is illuminated within these pages. Early postcard views reflect the city from around 1905 to 1942, showcasing many of its businesses, neighborhoods, and parks. Included are places virtually unknown to citizens today--the Bell Tower, the City Market, North Highlands Park, and Wildwood Park--as well as those that were landmarks a century ago and landmarks still: the Iron Bank, the Springer Opera House, the Union Depot, the YMCA, and Fort Benning.