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Send Greetings from Smithsonian Libraries

Brighten someone’s day with our new set of digital postcards! Based on images in our collections, these customizable cards could invite a recipient to daydream of an island vacation, encourage them to stop and smell the flowers, or remind them that our stacks of books will be waiting for them post-pandemic. Scroll through to find your favorites and pass along to friends and family.

This set of nine versatile postcards can be sent in a number of ways. You can fill them out directly on your computer or smartphone and email them to your family and friends. Or, you can print them out and mail them via snail mail.

If you choose to send through mail, just remember that to be mailed as a postcard an item must be:

  • Rectangular
  • At least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inch thick (about the thickness of an index card) and no more than 4-1/4 inches high x 6 inches long x 0.016 inches thick

And don’t forget the stamp! If you don’t have thick enough paper, you can also mail your printed, filled-out postcard with an envelope like a regular letter. See the United States Postal Service webpage for full information.

Click on the link below each image to download the customizable pdf. 

Illustration of woman in pink dress holding matching umbrella.
Front cover of John Wanamaker, New York, NY. Spring & Summer Catalog, 1915.

Click for postcard of Wannamaker Spring & Summer Catalog 

 

Black and white illustration of dinosaur skull.
Plate 18 from “Osteology of the carnivorous Dinosauria in the United States National museum: with special reference to the genera Antrodemus (Allosaurus) and Ceratosaurus” in Bulletin of the United States National Museum, volume 110 (1920).

Click for postcard of dinosaur skull

 

Illustration of goldfish
“Goldfish (Carassius auratus)” from New York (State) Forest, Fish and Game Commission’s Annual Report (1902).

Click for postcard of “Goldfish”

 

19th century photograph of young woman and bicycle.
Kittie Knox at Asbury Park. Referee and Cycle Trade Journal, v 15, no.12.

Click for postcard of Kittie Knox

 

Photo of stack of books
A selection of books in our Smithsonian Libraries Research Annex Library.

Click for postcard of books in Smithsonian Libraries Research Annex

 

Illustration of island with palm tree, blue skies and clouds.
Back cover, The Flight brothers by Loulie Henderson (1912).

Click for postcard of The Flight Brothers

Lithograph illustration of yellow flowers.
Cover, Pitcher & Manda Incorporated (18??).

Click for postcard of Pitcher & Manda seed catalog

 

Black and white photograph of Queen Lili’uokalani, Hawaiian woman in gown with sash.
Portrait of Queen Liliuokalani from Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani.

Click for postcard of Queen Liliuokalani

 

 

 

One Comment

  1. Yousf Azah

    Nice digital postcards. They look amazing and they will make someone love cause of their design or color

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