Collection SummaryThis digital collection represents a selection of postcards from PC 001, the Montana Places Photomechanical Postcard Collection, held by the Montana Historical Society Library and Archives. PC 001 includes over 20,000 photomechanically printed postcards organized by place documenting the natural landmarks and built environments of Montana’s cities, towns, rural areas, and natural landscapes predominantly from 1905 to the 1960s. Selective digitization of this enormous collection began in Dec. 2024 and included both the front and back (or verso) of the best and most representative postcards from the collection. These postcards are some of the most historically informative and visually interesting cards in the collection. However, due to the large size of the collection, we intend to only accomplish digitization of about 15% of the collection, or more than 3,000 postcards, by Dec. 2025. Some of the postcards digitized here include hand-written messages on cards that were sent through the mail; many of the cards were never used for messages.
This collection provides extensive visual documentation of Montana’s cities and towns, including but not limited to the following: Anaconda, Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Deer Lodge, Dillon, Fort Benton, Glendive, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, Lewistown, Livingston, Miles City, Missoula, and Virginia City. Many small towns and rural places are also well represented. Postcards from these places show many prominent commercial and public buildings, including business blocks, schools, courthouses, churches, commercial and residential street scenes, and overviews of cities and towns. Mining and industrial sites are also included in the appropriate geographical locations. Large selections from Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park, including areas of the park outside of Montana, are included along with many postcards from significant tourist locations such as the Beartooth Highway, Gallatin Canyon, and many smaller landmarks, hot springs, and natural features across Montana. Finally, Montana’s major rivers and valleys are very well documented, including the Bitterroot River, the Clark Fork, the Flathead River, and the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. For thousands of other postcards in PC 001 not selected for this digital collection, and other postcard collections open for research, please contact the Montana Historical Society Library and Archives.Contributing InstitutionMontana Historical Society Library and Archives
