Residents will get a glimpse of Plant City’s past during a special program on postcards Oct. 21, at Bruton Memorial Library.
In conjunction with Viva Florida 500, Liz Coursen has been traveling the Sunshine State in celebration of its 500-year anniversary of Juan Ponce de León’s arrival on the East Coast. She will present the program, “Having Fun, Wish You Were Here! An Illustrated History of the Postcard in Florida,” to share the history of Florida through her vintage postcard collection.
“The feedback has been off the charts,” the Sarasota-based author said. “People are fascinated with how Florida developed.”
Coursen’s program is an 80-minute PowerPoint presentation that features visuals of unique, vintage postcards. She also will bring two prints from home to display; a 1921 photographic postcard, from Miami, and a 1907 view of Florida from the Alligator Border series.
But, perhaps her most interesting specimens for the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World will be two Plant City postcards. The postcards are rare, because Plant City doesn’t have a history in the tourism industry. Coursen paid $30 for just one card.
“When good Plant City material comes on the market, it’s difficult to get,” Coursen said. “The valuable cards are the cards from the small towns. Plant City has a robust reputation for production and work and fruit.”
The older of the two postcards displays Plant City’s agricultural history well. The vintage postcard shows a barrage of turn-of-the-century cars pulled up to an old wooden loading platform. Bustling men dressed in top hats, suits, overalls and fedoras create a scene of organized chaos. An old ice truck hints that the postcard is from 1910 to 1920. It’s title: “The Strawberry Market, Plant City, FLA.”
The other postcard is from the 1960s. It shows a view of Collins Street, oozing with small-town Americana. A bright red sign tacked on to a building on the left side of the street says, “McCrorys.” Next door is Hillsboro Bank, reminding residents with a clock that it is “Time to Save.” Classic cars rumble down the main thoroughfare that divides one block of historic buildings.
Because of their timing and landscape, postcards like “Downtown Plant City, Florida” are popular with audiences in Coursen’s program.
“That’s why this process is so exciting,” Coursen said. “You can see how things change.”
For Coursen, it’s equally as exciting. She has been collecting postcards since she graduated from college. While she was at an antique market, she spotted a handsome merchant. When she inquired about his table, she found out he was a postcard dealer. He showed her a postcard from her hometown, Brunswick, Maine, and she was hooked on collecting.
Since then, her hobby has grown into a collection from postcards throughout the United States and abroad. She’s working on her fifth book. The first was “The Postcard History of Brunswick, Maine.”
Coursen urges attendees to bring in their postcards before the presentation to share with her so she can identify unique, rare or valuable samples.
“It’s a wonderful hobby,” Coursen said. “You never know what you’re going to see. You’ll never see it all.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO
Having Fun, Wish You Were Here! An Illustrated History of the Postcard in Florida
WHEN: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 21
WHERE: Bruton Memorial Library, 302 W. McLendon St.
WEBSITE: HavingFunWishYouWereHere.com.
FUN FACTS
In addition to Florida’s history, attendees also will learn some information about postcards, such as the six common postcard types:
1. Undivided Back. Correspondence was only allowed on the front of the card.
2. Divided Back. The U.S. Postal Office on March 1, 1907, allowed citizens to write on the address side of the postcard.
3. White Border. Literally, postcards with white boarders.
4. Linen Card. Named for their cloth-like texture.
5. Modern Chrome. Cards made use of modern colorant technology and the newly developed high-speed presses.
6. Real Photo. Photographs are reproduced by actually developing them onto photographic paper the size and weight of postcards, with a postcard back.