Postcards From Yesteryear

New exhibition at the Capitola Historical Museum

Postcards offer a unique window into Capitola’s past and the exhibition “Postmarked Capitola: A History Through Postcards” brings many of these wonderful pieces of art together in one place. Many of the exhibition postcards have never been displayed before, and their attached messages were never meant to be public. But here they are now, in displays exploring the medium of the picture postcard from the early 20th century to the present.

Back around 1910, postcards were the new method of social communication—sort of like Facebook, Twitter, and text-messaging rolled into one. To assemble the exhibition, Museum Curator Frank Perry spent months combing through literally hundreds of postcards in museum and private collections, picking out the ones that tell the most interesting tales. Some of the messages are especially intriguing, like this one from July 10, 1903: “Am anxious to go north, but don’t know just what I’ll do yet. Go to Big Trees today & have picnic in Dell tomorrow — whence the Mysterious Box is opened. Many thanks for my share of contents, but I am a little suspicious. Haha, with love, Gertrude.”

According to Museum board member Niels Kisling, “This exhibit is sure to delight young and old, and those in between.”

“In this latest exhibit, the Museum captures the essence of Capitola using postcards from days gone by, and shows us how postcards have changed over the years,” says Museum board president Linda Smith.

Board member David Shoaf says, “Postcards are wonderful moments in time, capturing individual and family experiences while in Capitola and in their own words. With the latest exhibit, visitors are again treated to what it was like to vacation and experience Capitola in decades past.”

Exhibit Features:

• Come and learn about the secret code involving the placement of stamps.
• Learn about postcards from the 1930s that played music.
• See how early photos were cleverly doctored to make the postcards more appealing.

The Capitola Historical Museum is at 410 Capitola Avenue next to City Hall.

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Postmarked Capitola: A History Through Postcards opens Saturday, March 21, with a reception from noon to 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served. Regular hours are Wed., Fri., Sat., Sun., noon to 4 p.m. Free admission.

Visit Us Online at: www.cityofcapitola.org/capitola-museum/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/capitolahistoricalmuseum/ Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCsa9zNW4NrmuJHyP8mM6cPw/videos

Founded in 1966, the Capitola Historical Museum maintains extensive collections of photographs and artifacts related to Capitola history. Exhibits change annually. Our motto is “Finding a future for our past.” Contact: Frank Perry, Curator, fperry@ci.capitola.ca.us, (831) 464-0322.