“Greetings! A Pictorial History of Minnesota through the Postcard” contains samples from a physical exhibit currently on display at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, Minnesota. The exhibit contains postcards, mainly from the first half of the 20th century, of scenes from various locations and activities common in Minnesota. It is one of about 13 exhibits presently available on the website, though past exhibits are also available.
Approximately 400 postcards are present in the physical exhibit; thumbnails of 72 of these are available online. All of the images were taken from the MHS holdings. They appear to have been chosen to represent different geographical areas of the state, as well as well as different time periods. The subject matter differs as well. Some of the images were chosen because they depict specific locations or events, but others were chosen because they show important economic activities in the state.
On the main page of the exhibit, one has the opportunity to look at postcards of scenes from three broad categories: One has images from various cities and towns around the state of Minnesota, one has images featuring various tourist destinations and celebrations held in the state, and one features scenes from various significant industries in the state – mining, lumbering, and transportation. Also on the main page, one is able to send e-cards with images from a small sample of postcards.
Once the viewer clicks on one of these categories, they are presented with thumbnail images of postcards. Clicking on a thumbnail brings up a larger version of the image. The images are arranged in groups of eight. By clicking on one image in each group, a viewer can look at each image within that group by clicking on buttons for previous or next images.
The metadata is limited. When one clicks on the thumbnail image, the viewer gets, in addition to a somewhat larger image, a very brief description, the collection at the MHS where the image came from, the date of the image, and the “Location number”, which appears to be an item number that has been assigned to each image.
In addition to the thumbnails, a viewer of the website can search the MHS Visual Resources Database, where she can gain access to the entire list of cataloged postcards at the MHS. Visitors to the website can search by date of postcard, or conduct more advanced searches. More complete metadata is available when doing this. One is also able to view thumbnails, and, if desired, a larger version of the images found here. This is the really valuable part of the exhibit. True online research is possible when using this tool.
The images available online are not high quality. However, this appears to be the case so that viewers will not be able to print images they find. One does have the option of purchasing copies of images they find online. A price list of various products offered, including different sized prints as well as scans, is available. The MHS also charges for the type of use, such as personal, commercial, educational, or publication in various different types of media and size of publications.
The intended audience is, not surprisingly, Minnesota residents from throughout the state. This can include both casual users who are interested in browsing, and researchers who want images for various uses.
I found the exhibit to be very effective. An attention-grabbing mix of subject matter has the ability to pique the interest of most viewers. It was obviously well-designed, with input from a number of different divisions within the organization.
Approximately 400 postcards are present in the physical exhibit; thumbnails of 72 of these are available online. All of the images were taken from the MHS holdings. They appear to have been chosen to represent different geographical areas of the state, as well as well as different time periods. The subject matter differs as well. Some of the images were chosen because they depict specific locations or events, but others were chosen because they show important economic activities in the state.
On the main page of the exhibit, one has the opportunity to look at postcards of scenes from three broad categories: One has images from various cities and towns around the state of Minnesota, one has images featuring various tourist destinations and celebrations held in the state, and one features scenes from various significant industries in the state – mining, lumbering, and transportation. Also on the main page, one is able to send e-cards with images from a small sample of postcards.
Once the viewer clicks on one of these categories, they are presented with thumbnail images of postcards. Clicking on a thumbnail brings up a larger version of the image. The images are arranged in groups of eight. By clicking on one image in each group, a viewer can look at each image within that group by clicking on buttons for previous or next images.
The metadata is limited. When one clicks on the thumbnail image, the viewer gets, in addition to a somewhat larger image, a very brief description, the collection at the MHS where the image came from, the date of the image, and the “Location number”, which appears to be an item number that has been assigned to each image.
In addition to the thumbnails, a viewer of the website can search the MHS Visual Resources Database, where she can gain access to the entire list of cataloged postcards at the MHS. Visitors to the website can search by date of postcard, or conduct more advanced searches. More complete metadata is available when doing this. One is also able to view thumbnails, and, if desired, a larger version of the images found here. This is the really valuable part of the exhibit. True online research is possible when using this tool.
The images available online are not high quality. However, this appears to be the case so that viewers will not be able to print images they find. One does have the option of purchasing copies of images they find online. A price list of various products offered, including different sized prints as well as scans, is available. The MHS also charges for the type of use, such as personal, commercial, educational, or publication in various different types of media and size of publications.
The intended audience is, not surprisingly, Minnesota residents from throughout the state. This can include both casual users who are interested in browsing, and researchers who want images for various uses.
I found the exhibit to be very effective. An attention-grabbing mix of subject matter has the ability to pique the interest of most viewers. It was obviously well-designed, with input from a number of different divisions within the organization.
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