Yesterday afternoon, I spent some time in a local antique shop, picking through a couple hundred old postcards. Many contained faded messages, many others were never sent. Quite a few of the ones with messages were missing their stamps, perhaps steamed off by a collector?

Here are the ones I brought home:

The Treasury Department. This postcard is early 20th century, before Hamilton’s statue was added to the front entrance. I enjoy the thought of some tourist taking the tour a century ago, buying this postcard for a penny, then never sending it, but keeping it safe forever.

The garden at Mt. Vernon. Not a particularly great photo, still interesting enough.

Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. This one is on neat textured paper. Unsent.

Thomas Jefferson’s deathbed at Monticello. The caption on the back lets you know that those are the Original Pillows that Jefferson died on. Okay.