"Williamsburg is a stronghold of the past, a sort of enchanted ground, lovely and quiet as a dream." Williamsburg may no longer be quiet as a dream, but it is certainly lovely and unquestionably a stronghold of the past, more so now than Miss Hildegarde Hawthorne could have dreamt when she penned these words in 1917. After Virginia's capital moved from Williamsburg to Richmond in 1780, the city sank into one and a half centuries of sleepy obscurity punctuated only by the Civil War. From 1928 to 1932, however, John D. Rockefeller Jr. restored the city to its colonial glory, and it leaped from impoverished backwater to tourist mecca within the space of a few years.

"Beautiful weather here. When are you coming?" Those words have been written millions of times on postcards mailed from Orlando. Known today as home to America's most famous theme parks, Orlando has always been a destination for visitors from all over the world. During its early period as "The Phenomenal City," through the years as "The City Beautiful," to the era of "The Action Center of Florida," Orlando has a story to tell.

Located in the heart of Mississippis piney woods, Hattiesburg was named by William H. Hardy in honor of his second wife, Hattie Lott Hardy. Incorporated in 1884, the town quickly established itself as a regional center of the yellow pine lumber industry, and by 1910 it was the fifth largest city in the state. During the 20th century higher education became an important part of the citys persona, with the establishment of William Carey College and The University of Southern Mississippi. Camp Shelby, established in 1917 to train soldiers for World War I, also trained soldiers for World War II, the Vietnam Conflict, the Persian Gulf War, and the War on Terror. Today, Hattiesburg is the center of a metropolitan area of over 110,000 people that encompasses Forrest and Lamar Counties.

For over forty years, professor and culinary historian Jessica B. Harris has collected postcards depicting Africans and their descendants in the American diaspora. They are presented for the first time in this exquisite volume. Vintage Postcards from the African World: In the Dignity of Their Work and the Joy of Their Play brings together more than 150 images, providing a visual document of more than a century of work in agricultural and culinary pursuits and joy in entertainments, parades, and celebrations. Organized by geography—Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States—as well as by the types of scenes depicted—the farm, the garden, and the sea; the marketplace; the vendors and the cooks; leisure, entertainments, and festivities—the images capture the dignity of the labors of everyday life and the pride of festive occasions. Superb and rare images demonstrate everything from how Africans and their descendants dressed to what tools they used to how their entertainments provided relief from toil. Three essays accompany the postcards, one of which details Harris’s collection and the collecting process. A second presents suggestions on how to interpret the cards. A final essay gives brief information on the history of postcards and postcard dating and its increasing use and value to scholars.

From the days of the Powhatan Indians to the establishment of Middle Plantation nearly 400 years ago, from its rise to power for a hundred years as the capital of England's largest North American colony to its decline into as many years of obscurity, Williamsburg has been shaped by the forces of history. Beneath the remarkable surface of today's restored colonial city lies an even more fascinating glimpse into the life of a community that has weathered the full sweep of American history.

This delightful follow-up to the first volume of Peoria: A Postcard History guides the reader through the development of Peoria to the twenty-first century. From the Illinois Riverfront to the streets of downtown, these postcards demonstrate the many changes that have taken place in this city throughout the years. The growth and expansion in Peoria have been phenomenal, and this volume allows us to follow the timeline of the city.

“A delight. All the Best Rubbish is one of those rare volumes that both instruct and entertain. I recommend it to any collector.” —Harold L. Peterson, Chief Curator, US National Park Service Ivor Noel Hume, the former chief archaeologist of Colonial Williamsburg, offers a delightful, anecdotal, and informative celebration of the joys of collecting. In his newly revised edition, All the Best Rubbish traces the fascinating history of collecting from its recorded beginnings and describes the remarkable detective work that goes into establishing the probable facts about uncovered and often underappreciated treasures. Now expanded with hints, tips, and helpful information about antique-hunting online, All the Best Rubbish is the ideal book for the antiquarian or amateur. Noël Hume has pursued bottles, pottery, clocks, and coins through junk shops, street markets, attics, and cellars on two continents. He's unearthed the most fascinating—and valuable—rubbish from the most unlikely places: the shores of the Thames in London; the lagoons of the Caribbean; the bottom of Martha Washington's well. Hume knows everything that's worth knowing about collecting—why we do it, what we can find, where we can find it, and what we can learn from it.