Rural Delivery

Rural Delivery revisits life in small-town America through examining photographs that were made into postcards in the early twentieth century. The book features more than two hundred photo postcards that re-create a time when Union County Pennsylvania, was prosperous, progressive, and growing, like many other small towns of the era.

With so-called corresponding photographs at the height of their popularity, neighboring towns competed with one another to have their best "souvenir views" available. The images, made by professional and amateur photographers alike, include impressive bird's-eye views of towns and close-ups of their bustling streets. Area residents are shown on the move—in trains, buggies, and cars, as well as at play—at Bucknell (then College) class rushes, picnics in the Narrows, or ballooning expeditions in Allenwood. Catastrophic events and patriotic celebrations are also shown in these rare visual documents, which rivaled newspapers for their timeliness. Views of scenic spots, artfully composed or dramatically lighted, advertise the photographer's skill and the region's pastoral beauty.

Art historian Jody Blake relates the photographic correspondence to technical, social, and artistic developments in the history of photography, while material cultural historian Jeannette Lasansky places the images on the postcards in the local historical context of Union County.

Most of the photographs have not been reproduced since being issued. Extensive captions cover issues ranging from photographic techniques to historical background to rarity. Documentary materials, such as diagrams from photographic manuals and excerpts from local newspapers, are also included. Grover Bierly, Nelson Caulkins, Urs. H. Eisenhauer, Edwin S. Heiser, Stephen B. Horton, Arthur R. Ishiguro, Ellen H. Shields, John C. Slear, and John D. Swanger are among twenty-six photographers whose biographies are included.