“`html

Fourth of July festivities documented in Royal Oak, Fenton, Lawton, and beyond, from over a century past

The William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan has recently released a digital archive of actual photo postcards from the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography.

The collection features 66,470 postcards depicting scenes from all over Michigan, spanning from the 1840s to the mid-20th century.

Thanks to the efforts of over 4,000 volunteers participating in a crowdsourced initiative on Zooniverse, the digitization of these postcards enhances accessibility for research purposes. While the physical postcards are organized in 150 boxes alphabetically by county and city, the digital archive allows sorting by county, subject, genre, location, and date, providing the ability to refine the collection as desired, complete with the full transcription of any handwritten notes on the card.

This assortment marks a pivotal transition in communication of that period, as postcards surged in popularity during what is commonly referred to as “the postcard craze.” For the first time, there existed an economical and simple method to send messages, connect, and remain informed amid a nation experiencing swift transformations.

“In the early 1900s, advancements in technology made photography more accessible, leading to a surge in its use,” said Claire Danna, a former Joyce Bonk Assistant at Clements. “Combined with the expansion of communication networks due to rural free delivery, postcards emerged as a form of social interaction that feels surprisingly familiar even after a century.”

These visuals depict an American culture balancing rural, agricultural, pre-industrial life against a backdrop of increasing mechanization, urban development, and electrification. The parades, industrial innovation, military themes during World War I, early Boy Scout groups, the rising interest in baseball, football, and other sports, along with tourism, entertainment, and advertising elements, all contribute to forging a new representation of America, one that evolves alongside this surge of postcard popularity.

The predominant themes depicted in the postcard visuals include streets, urban and town life, shops and markets, waterways, and residences, reflecting the everyday essence of the collection and Michigan’s identity as the Great Lakes state.

Tinder’s passion for photography sparked in 1964 after reading William Darrah’s “Stereo Views: A History of Stereographs in America and Their Collection.” He began collecting stereoviews due to his appreciation for how they captivated the viewer within the scene and eventually traded his geographically varied collection to concentrate on one area: his home state of Michigan. He developed a profound interest in photographic history and later compiled his “Directory of Early Michigan Photographers,” which was edited by Clayton Lewis, the Clements Library’s former curator of graphics materials.

Ultimately, Tinder’s collection encompassed nearly every type of photograph from the 19th and 20th centuries, including daguerreotypes, cartes de visite, cabinet photographs, stereographs, and of course, real-photo postcards.

“This crowdsourcing initiative was a genuine collaborative effort, involving cooperation among the Clements Library, Shapiro Design Lab, and U-M Library Digital Content & Collections,” said Emiko Hastings, curator of books and digital projects librarian. “Over 4,000 volunteers classified and transcribed the postcards in Zooniverse, contributing a remarkable amount of their time to this project. I am profoundly thankful to everyone who took part and supported this effort throughout its development.”

“`