Postcards were a way to communicate news of your exciting adventures with family and friends. Yellowstone Park was a favorite travel destination. Prior to the invention of cell phones - before digital communication became the standard - a visitor to Yellowstone Park who wanted to send a souvenir postcard to family and friends would need something to write with, stamps, and access to a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail drop.

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As roads in Yellowstone Park improved and expanded, tourist visitation increased. A five-day park “pass” that included meals, lodging and transportation cost $40. Riding in an eleven-passenger stagecoach, visitors experienced Yellowstone Park up close. The colorized postcard below is dated between the years 1908-1918 and was published by Acmegraph Company. In 1898, Congress gave all souvenir postcards a special one cent mailing rate.

Coaching party, Yellowstone Park

Photo Caption: Colorized postcard of a coaching party in Yellowstone National Park. Early Park visitors were able to tour the park while riding in stagecoaches. Acmegraph Co. (1908-1918) A publisher of national view-cards.

Transportation changed with the times. Here visitors are pictured crossing the Chittenden Bridge near the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone Park. Published by HAYES Picture Shop, there is a stamp space on the reverse side of the souvenir postcard to adhere a one cent stamp.

Chittenden Bridge and Auto Stages, Yellowstone Park

Color paper postcard depicting the Chittenden Bridge in Yellowstone National Park. The arch under the bridge is visible, and there are decorative guard rails on both sides. Several yellow cars with many tourists inside are on the road, and a few people are standing on the side of the bridge as well.

Many visitors entered Yellowstone Park through the stone arch located at the north entrance near Gardiner, Montana. The stone arch was built in 1903 and dedicated that same year by President Theodore Roosevelt. Sending and collecting postcards were all the craze between the years 1905 to 1915. Some journalists of the time called the fad “postcarditis.”

Northern Entrance Arch, Yellowstone Park

Color paper postcard depicting the northern entrance arch in Yellowstone National Park. A large plaque reading "FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE" is in the large area above the arch. Smaller plaques are above the two doorways. "Yellowstone National Park" is above the left and "Created by Act of Congress, March 1, 1872" is above the right. A yellow park bus is coming out of the arch toward the viewer. 

Fort Yellowstone was a military base established in 1890 in the Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone National Park. For 30 years, the United States Army oversaw managing and protecting Yellowstone Park. The first building constructed was the guard house. Sandstone used for many of the buildings came from a local quarry. Over time, Fort Yellowstone had a total of 35 buildings.

Fort Yellowstone, Yellowstone Park

Colorized postcard of Fort Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park. Construction at Fort Yellowstone began in 1890 and over the years 34 buildings were erected within the fort. Today, Fort Yellowstone is comprised of the Yellowstone National Park headquarters, the Horace Albright Visitor Center and staff accommodations. Acmegraph Co. (1908-1918) A publisher of national view-cards.

The Liberty Cap at Mammoth Hot Springs was a favorite spot for early tourist to view. At one time hot water emerged from the structure but has since dried up. In 1939, a new post office was built at Mammoth Hot Springs. Two bear cub statues guard the entrance to the post office main doors where modern-day Yellowstone Park visitors can still mail a souvenir postcard.

Liberty Cap, Yellowstone Park

Colorized postcard of the Liberty Cap. The Liberty Cap is located in the Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone National Park. At one time hot water emerged from it but it has been dried up for an unknown amount of time. The Detroit Publishing Co. 1887-1936 They produced postcards on a great variety of subjects but they are best known for their view-cards. The quality of their cards are considered some of the finest produced in America.

Every visitor to Yellowstone Park came to see Old Faithful Geyser. Discovered in 1870, the geyser erupts around 20 times per day. Prior to the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake, eruption times were more predictable. Postcards like this one were often called penny postcards because for years it only cost one cent to mail them.

Old Faithful Geyser - 150 ft., Yellowstone Park

Color paper postcard depicting the eruption of Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park.

Opened in 1904, visitors could stay at Old Faithful Inn located inside Yellowstone National Park. During the Yellowstone fires of 1988, “firefighters worked to prevent historic structures like the Old Faithful Inn from burning”. Old Faithful Inn is still in operation today. A mail drop box, perfect for mailing a souvenir postcard, is still located near the front desk inside Old Faithful Inn.

Old Faithful and Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone Park

Colorized postcard of Old Faithful Geyser and the Old Faithful Inn, in Yellowstone National Park. The Old Faithful Inn opened in 1904 and is still in operation today. Old Faithful geyser was discovered in 1870 and is named for its frequent eruptions. It erupts approximately 20 times a day and can reach anywhere from 100-180 feet. 

Evening meals in the Old Faithful Inn dining room included music provided by a string quartet. This colorized postcard shows the log structure construction typical of Old Faithful Inn. Early etiquette columnist Elizabeth Van Rensselaer wrote in 1911 that, “As a general rule, a postal card should not be used except for business purposes…. If it is an absolute necessity to send one to a friend…the sentences should be short….all personal messages should be omitted”.

Dining room, Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone Park

Colorized postcard of the dining room in Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park. The Old Faithful Inn opened in 1904 and is still in operation today. Acmegraph Co. (1908-1918) A publisher of national view-cards.

Rooms at Old Faithful Inn offered a quiet place to write postcards home to family and friends. Wall outlets to plug in and charge things such as a cell phone were non-existent at the time this souvenir postcard was produced.

Room in Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone Park, Wyo

Colorized postcard of a room in the Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park. The Old Faithful Inn opened in 1904 and is still in operation today. Acmegraph Co. (1908-1918) A publisher of national view-cards.

The postmark on this postcard shows the date as August 9, 1938. A one cent stamp was needed to mail a postcard in the year 1938. To attach a one cent stamp to a postcard, you could use a damp sponge and dab the glued side of the stamp. Most people, though, just licked the adhesive side of the stamp-the side without the picture- before sticking the stamp onto the back of the postcard.

Old Faithful Inn and Geyser, Yellowstone National Park

Postcard back. The top right corner of the stamp says "UNITED / STATES / POSTAGE" on three lines, and "1 CENT 1" is along the bottom of the stamp.  The bottom of the mark indicates the year 1938. The center gives the date of use as AUG 9 / 530PM. "Things are still / going pretty good / --- Yellowstone / is sure wonderful / I'll be seein' you / Thursday. / Lots of love / George" is on the left side of the card. It is addressed to "Mrs. John W. Blake / 501 Pine St / Atlantic, / Iowa" on the right side of the postcard.

Feeding bears was a highlight of your Yellowstone Park trip. Yellowstone is “home to 67 species of mammals, the largest concentration of mammals in the lower 48 states”. 

Feeding a Wild Bear, Yellowstone National Park

Color paper postcard depicting tourists feeding a bear in Yellowstone National Park. The tourists are in a blue, wooden wagon with yellow wheels on a dirt road. A brown bear stands on its hind feet with its front paws on the side of the wagon. One tourist is feeding the bear something red.  Two other tourists in the wagon look on. 

Tourists could watch bears being fed food scraps at the bear feeding ground at Otter Creek near the Grand Canyon area of Yellowstone Park. A price increase for mailing a souvenir postcard occurred in 1952. In 1970, park officials banned the practice of feeding bears.

Grizzly Bears near Grand Canyon

Color paper postcard depicting grizzly bears gathered at a feeding area in Yellowstone National Park. Most of the bears are in a rectangular structure eating. A few are looking out in the direction of the viewer. 

Your visit to Yellowstone Park was not complete until you visited the Mud Volcano. Depending on the annual precipitation and time of year, the consistency and activity of the Mud Volcano area varied. For years, a fountain pen would have been used to write the address and message on the back of a souvenir postcard. Cartridges had to be changed in the fountain pen as the ink ran out, often leaving ink stains on your fingers or clothes.

Crater of Mud Volcano, Yellowstone Park Wyo

Colorized postcard of the Mud Volcano's crater in Yellowstone National Park. The Mud Volcano also known as the Mud Geyser became popular in the 1870s because it would erupt every few hours exploding muddy water 50 feet into the air. It is no longer an active geyser but there are steam vents around the muddy pool.

When Yellowstone Park first opened, roads were non-existent. “In 1883, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began to build some roads into the park”, … giving access to various geothermal features. If you were up to some climbing, visitors could experience the wonder of The Great Falls in Yellowstone Park. A souvenir postcard mailed from Yellowstone Park had a long transport before it arrived at its destination. “In the 1800’s, a mail carrier was contracted to transport mail from the railroad station in Livingston, Montana, to Mammoth Hot Springs and then to Cooke City, Montana, before returning to Livingston, a trip of several days’ duration”.

Great Fall from Red Rock, 308 ft., Yellowstone Park

Color paper postcard depicting the Great Falls of Yellowstone Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone River continues to flow from the base of the falls. The cliffs at the top of the falls are covered in tall, green trees. There are also trees in the foreground and in groups on the cliffs. 

Colorized postcard of tourists taking a carriage ride in Gardiner Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. Gardiner Canyon is located southeast of Gardiner, Montana, and has an elevation of 5,427 feet. A mail carrier’s house, made of logs and built around 1895, still stands in the Mammoth Hot Springs area of Yellowstone Park.

Along Gardiner River, Gardiner River Canyon, Yellowstone Park

Colorized postcard of tourists taking a carriage ride in Gardiner Canyon in Yellowstone National Park. Gardiner Canyon is a valley within Montana and is southeast of Gardiner and has an elevation of 5,427 feet. The Detroit Publishing Co. 1887-1936 They produced postcards on a great variety of subjects but they are best known for their view-cards. The quality of their cards are considered some of the finest produced in America.

Every visitor to Yellowstone Park hoped to see wildlife, including a bison (buffalo). A bull (male) bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and is capable of running up to 35 miles per hour. The invention of the telephone offered a quicker way to connect with family and friends, beginning the decline of written communication.

Buffalo (American Bison, Bull) Yellowstone National Park

Color paper postcard depicting a bull bison in Yellowstone National Park. He has two horns and stands facing the camera. He has one front leg raised in a grassy and rocky landscape that is rendered in orange, yellow, green, blue, lavender, and pink. Mountains and grasslands are in the background. 

A mule deer fawn might be spotted from late May to early August. “Between 2000 and 2010, internet usage by U.S. households nearly doubled…At the same time, the number of postal cards and postcards mailed by individuals annually decreased by nearly half.”

Mule Deer Fawn, Yellowstone National Park

Color paper postcard depicting a mule deer fawn in Yellowstone National Park. The fawn is standing in green grass.

Bull (male) elk like the one shown in this postcard often were spotted in open meadows of Yellowstone Park. Bull elk shed and grow a new set of antlers every year.

Bull Elk, Tower Fall Area

Color paper postcard depicting a bull elk in the Tower Fall area in Yellowstone National Park. The elk is brown and has large tan antlers with six points on each side. There appears to be a road behind the elk. 

Postcards with the theme of Yellowstone Park were produced and sold by several companies. The best-known company was Haynes. You can read detailed information about Haynes postcards in the caption below. In today’s digital world, visitors to Yellowstone Park can take a “selfie” on their cell phone and instantly share the highlights of their trip with friends and family.

Yellowstone National Park Souvenir Postcards by Haynes Photo Shops

Frank Jay Haynes, known as F. Jay, was heavily involved in the early tourist trade in the park. In addition to his work as a photography and postcard concessionaire, he was involved in other businesses, such as transportation and camps in the park. His son, Jack Ellis Haynes, took over the photography studios and postcard business in 1916. Jack, who grew up in the park and spent almost his life there, was nicknamed “Mr. Yellowstone.” The Haynes postcard business thrived in an era when postcards were the primary means of communication and could be sent for one cent in the United States and for two cents internationally. The Haynes family produced an estimated 55 million Yellowstone National Park postcards over the course of seven decades, an astounding number when you consider they sold their cards solely within the park. Haynes Picture Shops produced boxed sets of specific cards, such as the popular “Haynes 100 Series,” a set of postcards arranged by number that followed the path of the Grand Loop Road around the park. 

Exhibit Author: Diane Jensen

Bibliography

Big Sky Chamber. "Visit Big Sky." Accessed April 2024. www.http://visitbigsky.com

National Park Service. "Yellowstone National Park." Accessed April 2024. https://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

Outside Magazine. "Yellowstone National Park Trips." Accessed April 2024. http://www.yellowstonepark.com

Postcard Image Credits

Billings Public Library

Museum of the Rockies