Long before sharing selfies on social media that were taken with smartphone cameras, postcards were a quick, informal way to send a message to a friend. The novelty of sending a local photo by mail across town or around the world became a huge fad with an estimated 1 billion cards mailed in the US each year at the height of its popularity. This early form of “social media” has helped to capture and preserve the history of countless small communities in America.
Beginning in May the Miles Museum will be displaying a collection of over 100 photo postcards depicting scenes of Mount Carroll from 1905 into the 1960s. Along with the postcards are displayed several other photos taken by 19th century Mount Carroll photographers including CDVs, Cabinet Cards and Stereoviews. The display is part of the personal collection of Mount Carroll resident and photography enthusiast, Rhett Simkins, and will be on display throughout the summer.
Come take a tour of the museum and see what our county seat looked like over 100 years ago.