Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Carnegie Libraries of Iowa
Cities D-G
Davenport
Davenport, along with Rock Island, Bettendorf, and Moline, constitute the Quad Cities.
1904 grant. Designed by Prof. Temple of the University of Illinois. Razed in 1965.
(L) A.C. Bosselman & Co. card, mailed in 1908.
(R) Unattributed photo postcard. The autos featured appear to date from the 1930s, and none seem to be Fords, unusual for the era.
Denison
Its roots date back to 1874. 1902 Carnegie grant: this building was built in 1904. Today the Carnegie section is used as meeting space, and the expanded building is renamed Norelius Community Library.
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(L) Unidentified photo card.
(R) Mundane Curt Teich card.
DeWitt
Bradford & Co. multiview postcard, 'Scenes of DeWitt, Iowa.' To right is an enlargement of the exterior and interior views of the Carnegie library,
1907 building superceded in 1989, then reused as City Hall.
(L) The whole background was so horrifying that the E.C. Kropp Co. cropped it right out of the picture.
(R) I don't know what the scary looking contraption is to the side of the library on this photo card, but two moppets are contentedly propped against it, reading. Another tiny detail is the Women's Rest Room sign with pointer hand.
Dubuque (Carnegie-Stout Library
(L) In 1905, Miss Flora von Wackerbarth of Chicago is admonished,
'Read and digest.'
I would think that this library would scare her into doing just that.
(R).B.B. Co. card, possibly printed by Curt Teich
The building is just as foreboding today as it was in 1901.
Eagle Grove
1902 building that currently serves as the Eagle Grove History Museum.
(L) FREE PVBLIC LIBRARY around the entry frieze. There is a C in a decorative circle just above the door.
(R) This is another highly detailed photo post card, but not to the level where I can tell what the notice on the door says.
The neighbors were immortalized doing some building maintenance.
Eldora
1901 building that has the design that's rather standard for Iowa (Bedford, Marengo) and Missouri (Louisiana, albeit in stone) Carnegie libraries. This is a Patton & Miller work.
Replaced in 2000.
This is a rather underexposed Kruxo photo card with an evenly divided reverse.
Emmetsburg
1911 grant: opened in late 1912. Its architect was A.T. Simmons. Now the Palo Alto County Historical museum.
(L) 1926 Curt Teich 'C.T. Blue Sky' card
(R) This is an early L.L. Cook card, dating from its tenure in Lake Mills, Wisconsin.
Estherville
Built 1902: A.M. Jefferis was its architect. There was an addition in 1992.
Quite an attractive library. Similar to the Freeport, Illinois library, but on a much smaller scale. Portholes have leaded glass inserts, and the fountain out front is a nice touch seen in few of these cards.
Fairfield (Jefferson County Library)
Famous for several reasons, the first of which is its status as the first Carnegie library west of the Mississippi, from an 1892 grant. It is also a site which Carnegie never visited. Finally, it's one of a few Romanesque Carnegie buildings.
Sadly, the more traditionally built Parsons College Carnegie library was demolished after the Maharishi University took over the defunct campus.
Unfortunately the unusual mansard roof had to be removed after structural damage to the Jefferson County Library occurred in the 1930s. Reconstruction began in 1948 and 1954, and it was replaced in 1996. Today it serves as a museum.
(L) This is one of my only Curt Teich postcards with an entire back, dating it to pre-1907. Teich must have been just learning the trade, as this card is badly tinted.
(R) By 1921, the image quality was much better.
Fort Dodge
Formerly endangered.
Built 1901; replaced 2000 and now privately owned. Sold in early 2008 for renovation into apartments.
(L) A.C. Bosselman card, never mailed.
Garner
Built from a 1914 Carnegie grant, this small library was demolished in the late 1970s for a much larger facility.
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The photo postcard may have been an L.L. Cook product. It is in poor shape, and was mailed in 1922.
Glenwood
1903 grant: still in use.
(L) Message on the L.L. Cook card, mailed 1966:
Hi!
Big Mary
Seems like too nice a photo card for such a mundane message.
(R) In 1908, the sender used both the back and part of the front of the L.S. Robinson card for his message.
Grundy Center
L.L. Cook photocard.
If I counted correctly, the flag has 46 stars, which would place the photo to the 1908-1912 range. (If 47, it's not an official flag.)
There appears to be a complementary cement block garage to the rear of the photo.
Built 1907, demolished after replacement by the Kling Memorial Library.
