Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Indiana Carnegie Libraries
Cities B-C
Bedford
Bedford is famous for its high quality limestone, of which many Carnegie libraries (and other midwestern civic buildings) were constructed.
(L) C.U. Williams 'Photoette.'
(R) Rather ordinary monochrome card published by the Owl Drug Store.
Grant obtained in 1902: bare-bones building heavily renovated in 1984.
Bloomington
(R) Albertype sepia tint card mailed to Inez Warner, who seems to have been another library postcard collector.
1901 Carnegie grant. Some time later, it received a huge addition. Replaced, and serves as a History Center.
Bluffton
(L) National Press's motto should have been 'Quantity, not quality.' The prolific publisher produced primarily advertising postcards for motels and gas stations in the intrawar era.
(R) Hugh C. Leighton postcard, mailed in 1913.
(L) 1916 'Blue Sky' postcard by Curt Teich.
(R) Rotograph card mailed in 1908.
Grant obtained in 1903: again, a very basic building. Replaced by the Bluffton - Wells County Public Library, it now serves as a county governmental annex. There seem to have been some minor cosmetic alterations made.
(But the Library now has doughnuts. Dunkin Donuts.)
Boonville
Some days, you're just grateful for a National Press postcard.
Now the Boonville-Warrick County Public Library, no longer occupying this rather snazzy ca. 1914 building. According to Wikipedia, the police department has it now.
Boswell
Now the Boswell - Grant Township Public Library, this ca. 1911 building is still in use (with an addition).
There's not a lot to say about this building that the postcard image doesn't show. Its architecture is a minimalist version of the Antigo Carnegie building, which is considered Georgian.
Brazil
Dear Ella:
Hope you are havig a fine time
for I am.
Yours,
Margaret
Tell rest Hello & Tom that I still love him.
(L) Card mailed in September, 1906.
(R) Curt Teich 'American Art' card. And it very nearly is.
Mailed in 1928.
1902 grant. Still in use, with an addition. Rather ordinary limestone library enlivened by the frieze, and what I suspect is a semi-circular stained glass window, over the doorway. The mid 2000s addition blends in nicely. According to the Library's history page, this is the only Carnegie building marked with carved letters as a donation from Andrew Carnegie.
I'm not so sure about that.
(L) Later Rotograph card, mailed in 1908.
(R) It's a special treat to find an interior picture of a Carnegie building. This interesting shot of the library's original desk and other furnishings is dated 1910. Too bad that the postcard is in such poor condition.
Brookville
(L) Suspect postcard. Despite a 9/1/1913 postmark, the message and address appear to have been written in ball point pen.
(R) The card was produced in California, by Mike Roberts Color Production, color being the operative word.
Built in 1912: a very interesting history was published by the Brookville American-Democrat upon the Library's centennial.
Did you know that many Carnegie buildings have 13 steps leading to the Library? This symbolizes the 13 Steps to Wisdom. According to the article, Carnegie thought that young, ambitious people would comprise the majority of the users.
Pish-tosh.
Butler
Late 1913 grant. Today, serves as the DeKalb County Historical Society. More photos (not mine) at Hoosier Indiana.
Auburn Postcard Company postal, mailed in 1915.
Carmel
The card appears to have been in the Hamilton County Public Library Commission's collection, according to its notations made in 1925. It's an Americhrome brand production.
Per the Woody's Library Restaurant web site, clearly the oddest reference I have used, this was built in 1913 and replaced in 1970. The $11,000 grant came in early March of that year. Bobinski and the postcard concur. From 1972 to 1989 the building served as town offices and courthouse. In 1998, it became the restaurant.
Austin Bond was the local (per Arcadia Press's Carmel) architect.
Clinton
Black & White brand card.
Postcard likely by C.U. Williams. Strangely, it does make the library building look impressive.
Curt Teich postcard, ostmarked 1958.
The State Library of Indiana waxed positively lyrical about this 1908 Carnegie building, tripled in size in 1991.
Columbus
(L) H.H. Hamm card. This might have been printed by Curt Teich: many Hamm postcards were.
(R) A Tichnor Quality View.
Built 1901: razed 1969.
Slightly iconoclastic Carnegie building with a strange convex entry. A city with a reputation for its architecture should have been more conservation-minded.
Something about the retouching makes it seem as if the walls are also curved. The library probably had the fan-style stack arrangement used in the smaller buildings built on corner lots.
Connersville
Now known as the Fayette County Library.
1909-1980
(L) H.H. Hamm card, possibly printed by Curt Teich, which did many postcards for the firm.
Crawfordsville
(R, above) Monochrome card published by Auburn Post Card Manufacturing Co.
Photography credit went to Franzlau, which was run by the eponymous brothers William A. and Harry O. Between 1906 and 1916, the firm was in Blackford County, and moved to Crawfordsville to operate as Franzlau Photo Shop between 1925 and 1935, according to Blackford County Photographers Collection, ca. 1880-1939, by Tranfield and Nicholson.
(R, below) Litho-chrome branded card
From the Indiana State Library:
In 1969 the front steps were removed and a street level entrance installed. In 1977 to 1979 the building next door was renovated and connected to the Carnegie library. In 1996 the special services department was renovated.
Since then, the building was replaced (I hope), and the Carnegie building serves as a museum.
Crown Point
(L) Printed in Germany from a Vilmer photo.
(R) Photo postcard, with caption which looks like 'Crown Paint.'
1906 grant, built in 1908, and replaced in 1972. In turn, replaced in 2012.
Today the Carnegie building is used as a meeting hall for a fraternal organization.
Culver
Built in 1915: still in use after additions and renovation. Now known as the Culver - Union Township Public Library. History is found on the library's web page, along with some interesting city history and photos.
E.C. Kropp card.