Shaw Manor · Next Door · The Post Office

The Postcard Rack

A wire spinner by the counter, loaded with home-town views, Bluegrass tracks, a whiskey complaint from 1905 and a few cards nobody should have mailed. 87 cards on the rack so far, and more are coming.

Paris, KY
Lexington & the Bluegrass
Greetings from Kentucky
“In Old Kentucky”
Kentucky Wonders
Louisville & Churchill Downs
Around Kentucky & Beyond
Family Mail
Mailed
Comic Cards

Tap a card to enlarge it. Cards stamped ↻ have a back you can flip to.

A long box of postcards in sleeves with a handwritten POSTCARDS! card on top — The rest of the stash. There’s a whole box still to sort, so the rack keeps growing.

Album page I

Paris, KY

25 cards

Home. Courthouse, Main Street, churches, schools, the creek and the motels out on the highway.

Big-letter greeting card spelling PARIS with small town views inside the letters and stars around them — “Greetings from Paris, Kentucky”Big-letter view card
Little views of town tucked inside each letter, under a sky full of stars. Somebody penciled across the bottom: “Say don’t forget your promise…” The rest has faded out.

Black-and-white postcard of the domed courthouse in Paris, Kentucky — “Court House, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
An early black-and-white view of the domed Bourbon County courthouse, with nobody around.

Color postcard of the domed courthouse in Paris, Kentucky with a flag and early automobiles — “Court House, Paris, Ky.—2”Postcard · title as printed
The same courthouse in color, flag up, with a couple of early motorcars parked out front.

Back of an old postcard with a handwritten note saying this is most beautiful building in Paris, Ky. — A Written BackUndivided “Post Card” back
A note in ink: “This is most beautiful building in Paris, Ky.” It’s signed Watson Bros., and someone penciled “Bourbon” at the top. The front it belonged to isn’t in the pile.

Hand-tinted postcard looking south down Main Street in Paris, Kentucky, with awnings and storefronts — “Main St. Looking South, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as written on the card
Looking down Main Street from up high, past striped awnings and a “Wheeler & Co.” sign.

Postcard of Main Street, Paris, Kentucky, looking south, with a postmark in the sky — “Main St. Looking South, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
The same view from about the same spot, with a cancellation stamped across the sky.

Color postcard of Main Street, Paris, Kentucky, with a domed corner building and hanging shop signs — “Main Street, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
A street-level view under a corner building with a dome. The signs read “…N NEWS · 1881 · JOB PRINTING” and “…COHEN”.
Manor lore · unverified: the newspaper sign is probably The Bourbon News.

Color postcard of a busy Main Street in Paris, Kentucky, with early cars and shop signs — “Main Street, Paris, Ky.—2”Postcard · title as printed
Motorcars, shoppers and painted wall signs, including a half-hidden “…SS’ …T STORE”.

Postcard of a tree-lined residential street in Paris, Kentucky — “Duncan Avenue, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
A quiet tree-lined street with a church steeple at the end.

Postcard of a tree-lined street with a handwritten note about bringing music across the picture — “Duncan Ave., Paris, Ky.”Postcard · printed title under the ink
Somebody wrote right across the picture: “If you have a piano down stairs I expect I will bring my music along. I want to get some more music anyway.”

Hand-tinted postcard of Stoner Creek with trees along the banks — “Stoner Creek, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
Still green water with trees crowding the banks.

Black-and-white postcard of an iron railroad truss bridge and footbridge over a creek — “Foot and R.R. Bridge, Paris, Ky.”Real-photo style card · title as printed
An iron railroad truss on stone piers, with a footbridge alongside it.

Postcard of a brick post office building with arched windows in Paris, Kentucky — “Post Office, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
The brick post office with its arched windows and lamp posts. It’s fitting, since this rack hangs in the Post Office.

Linen postcard of a stone church with a red roof and tall tower — “Christian Church, Paris, Ky.—4”Postcard · title as printed
A red roof, a stone tower and a pink sky.

Postcard of a brick Presbyterian church with a square tower on a street corner — “Presbyterian Church, Paris, Ky.—7”Postcard · title as printed
A brick church with a square tower, standing on a corner.

Postcard of a large stone Methodist church with a castle-like tower — “Methodist Church, Paris, Ky.—9”Postcard · title as printed
Rough-cut stone and a castle-style tower.

Postcard of a red brick Baptist church with white columns — “Baptist Church, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
A brick front with tall white columns.

Postcard of a large brick public school with a dome and flag — “Public School, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
A brick school with a dome, a flag on top and a touring car going by.

Black-and-white postcard of a turreted brick school building — “City School, Paris, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
An older school building with a turret, in black and white.

Linen postcard of Duncan Tavern, a large stone building with green shutters on the public square — “Duncan Tavern, Built 1788, Public Square, Paris, Ky.”Linen postcard · title as printed · has a back
The stone tavern on the square. The back you can flip to comes from a Duncan Tavern card in the same pile. Its printed text says the tavern “was built by Major Joseph Duncan before the town of Hopewell (Paris) was established.” It was mailed from Louisville on Jan. 15, 1947, and the message starts: “Grandpa is much better. We were so glad to get your card. Write when you can.” It’s signed “Love Albert & Henrietta.”

Back of a 1909 postcard with a handwritten letter and a one-cent stamp — “Dear Mother,” 1909Written back · postmarked July 10, 1909
The picture side is missing, but the letter survived: “…tastes awful good… The boys and Mary send grateful thanks for the welcome gifts and I thank you again for being so nice and good to all of us.” It’s signed A. B. H. and was mailed to Stanford, Kentucky.

Linen postcard of the Craycraft’s Motel with a neon MOTEL sign — “The Craycraft’s Motel, Paris, Ky. · The Downtown Motel”Linen postcard · title as printed
A long, low motel with a neon MOTEL sign shaped like an arrow and VACANCY lit up.

Postcard of the Starlight Motor Court, a row of motel rooms behind a white fence — “Starlight Motor Court, Paris, Kentucky · Highway 27 & 68”Postcard · title as printed
A row of motor-court rooms with a white fence out on the highway.

Linen postcard with two views of Claiborne Farm: mares and foals grazing, and a stone-walled lane — “Mares and Foals, Claiborne Farm, Paris, ‘In Old Kentucky’”Linen postcard · title as printed
Two views on one card: mares and foals grazing, then a stone wall and a gate. Claiborne is the farm where Sir Gallahad III stood at stud (see the wooden nickel).

Souvenir wooden nickel for the 1939 Paris Sesqui-Centennial with a horse head labeled Imp. Sir Galahad III — “Two Wooden Nickels · 1789—Sesqui-Centennial—1939”Souvenir wooden nickel · has a back
It’s wood, not a postcard, but it was too good to leave out. Paris turned 150 in 1939, and the nickel’s front reads: “September 3-4-5-6 · Paris, Kentucky · Imp. Sir Galahad III · World’s Largest Bluegrass Market.” Flip it to read the certificate, which says it could be spent at “any store or bank in Paris” until noon on Sept. 5, 1939. Sir Gallahad III (that’s the official spelling) was the French stallion imported in 1925 and kept at Claiborne. He sired Gallant Fox, the 1930 Triple Crown winner. Claiborne history

Album page II

Lexington & the Bluegrass

15 cards

Up the road: the courthouse, Main Street, the University of Kentucky and the tracks.

Big-letter linen postcard spelling LEXINGTON with a harness horse and sulky — “Greetings from Lexington, Kentucky”Big-letter linen card
A harness horse and driver trot across the front of the letters.

Postcard of the domed stone courthouse in Lexington, Kentucky — “Court House, Lexington, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
A stone courthouse with a big dome over downtown.

Night-time postcard of Main Street in Lexington with lit windows and street lamps — “Main Street Looking East, at Night, Lexington, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
Street lamps, lit windows and headlights. There’s another copy pinned in the Post Office.

Linen postcard of a bird’s-eye view down Main Street, Lexington — “Main Street, Lexington, Ky.”Linen postcard · title as printed
Looking down Main Street from above, hotels on the right.

Aerial postcard of the University of Kentucky football stadium and Memorial Coliseum — “Airview, Showing University of Kentucky Stadium and Memorial Coliseum, Lexington, Kentucky”Postcard · title as printed
The football stadium with Memorial Coliseum next to it. The Coliseum opened in 1950.

Aerial postcard of the University of Kentucky campus — “Aerial View of University of Kentucky”Postcard · title as printed
The campus from the air, with the stadium at the left.

Aerial postcard of the University of Kentucky with a track oval and campus buildings — “University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.—21”Postcard · title as printed
Another view from the air, with the track oval and the old halls.

Linen postcard of Memorial Hall at the University of Kentucky, a brick building with a tall white steeple — “Memorial Hall, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky”Linen postcard · title as printed
The white steeple over red brick.

Linen postcard of the brick Administration Building at the University of Kentucky — “Administration Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky”Linen postcard · title as printed
Brick, ivy and a lot of tall windows.

Linen postcard of the Keeneland grandstand and clubhouse beside the running track — “Keeneland Association Running Track, Lexington, Ky.”Linen postcard · title as printed
The limestone stands behind an empty track. Keeneland ran its first meet on Oct. 15, 1936. Keeneland

Postcard of the Kentucky Association Race Track grandstand in Lexington — “Kentucky Association Race Track, Lexington, Ky.—24”Postcard · title as printed
The old downtown track. Its last meet was in the spring of 1933, after more than a hundred years of racing. Keeneland

Postcard of racehorses running past an ornate clubhouse at a Lexington track — “Running Track, Lexington, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
Thoroughbreds coming down the stretch past a clubhouse with a pointed roof.

Linen postcard of harness horses and sulkies racing in front of a crowded grandstand — “Trotting Track, Lexington, Ky.”Linen postcard · title as printed
Five sulkies abreast in front of a packed grandstand.

Linen postcard of a grey trotting horse pulling a sulky past spectators — Untitled cardUntitled linen card
A grey trotter in full stride, with the driver in red and a crowd along the rail.
Manor lore · unverified: it could be Greyhound, the great grey trotter. Nothing on the card says so.

Postcard of hemp shocks in a field near Lexington, Kentucky — “Hemp Field, near Lexington, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
Another hemp field card, this one titled for Lexington.

Album page III

Greetings from Kentucky

5 cards

Big letters, little views. Every letter holds its own picture.

Large-letter Greetings from Kentucky linen postcard with dark letters trimmed in red and the State Capitol below — “Greetings from Kentucky”Big-letter linen card
Dark block letters trimmed in red, each one filled with its own Kentucky view, and the State Capitol along the bottom.

Large-letter Greetings from Kentucky postcard in blue and orange with a steamboat, a horse, goldenrod and the Capitol dome — “Greetings from Kentucky”Big-letter linen card
Blue and orange, with a steamboat and a horse inside the letters, goldenrod in the corner and the Capitol dome on the right.

Large-letter Greetings from Kentucky postcard with an orange sky and racehorse silhouettes along the bottom — “Greetings from Kentucky”Big-letter linen card
An orange sky, Kentucky views in the letters and a line of racehorses running in silhouette along the bottom.

Large-letter Greetings from Kentucky postcard with a colonel holding a julep and a horse — “Greetings from Kentucky”Big-letter linen card
A colonel with a julep stands behind the letters, with a horse on the left.

Large-letter Kentucky linen postcard with Lincoln, a log cabin, horses and a moonshiner with a still and an XXX barrel — “Kentucky”Big-letter linen card · © Curt Teich & Co., Inc.
Lincoln, a log cabin, horses and a waterfall fill the letters. Up top, a moonshiner tends his still beside a barrel marked XXX.

Album page IV

“In Old Kentucky”

14 cards

Colonels and juleps, moonshine stills, tobacco and hemp, log cabins and dialect poems: Kentucky the way the card printers liked to sell it.

Poem postcard Neighboring in Kentucky with two pictures of a mountain man with a rifle — “Neighboring in Kentucky”Poem card · K43 · verse by Lucy Louise Hatcher
A mountain poem in dialect, framed by two pictures of a man with a rifle in the woods. It opens: “I wuz born in the mountains of Old Kentucky …”

Tall poem postcard Old Kaintuck with the Kentucky River above and thoroughbred horses below — “Old Kaintuck”Tall poem card · verse by Thomas H. Arnold, of Chicago
A bend of the Kentucky River at the top, “Thorobreds in Old Kentucky” grazing by a fence at the bottom, and the poem in between.

Poem postcard In Kentucky with a colonel in a white suit raising a glass — “In Kentucky”Poem card · verse by Jas. H. Mulligan
A white-suited colonel raises a glass beside the poem, which runs from “The moonlight falls the softest in Kentucky” to the famous last line about politics.

Postcard Things that made Kentucky its Reputation showing a woman, a whiskey bottle, a revolver and a racehorse — “Things that made Kentucky its Reputation”Postcard · Copyright 1907 by H. H. Phillips
A pretty face, a bottle of Taylor whiskey, a revolver and a racehorse, with “She was bred in Kentucky” under the horse.

Linen postcard of a moonshine still with barrels in the woods — “Making ‘Moonshine’ in Kentucky”Linen postcard · KE-20
Barrels, a copper coil and smoke from a fire, back in the woods.

Postcard of men making moonshine beside barrels, one marked coffee — “Making Moonshine in Kentucky.”Postcard · title as printed
A similar scene in an older style, with a white border. One barrel is marked COFFEE.

Linen postcard of two men at a moonshine still in the mountains — “‘Moonshine Still’ in the Heart of the Mountains, ‘In Old Kentucky’—K27”Linen postcard · title as printed
Two men tend a still among the rocks and brush.

Postcard of a bearded Kentucky colonel holding a mint julep — “Two Typical Kentuckians: Personality and Mint Julep”Postcard · title as printed
A bearded colonel in a long coat and his mint julep, captioned “Relics almost extinct.”

Postcard of a white-haired Kentucky colonel tipping his hat by a fence — “The Kentucky Colonel”Postcard · “Hi You All!”
A white-haired colonel tips his hat by a fence, with horses in the pasture behind him.

Linen postcard of a Kentucky tobacco field with a farmhouse behind — “Tobacco Field ‘In Old Kentucky’”Linen postcard · KE-19 · © Caufield & Shook, Louisville
Big tobacco leaves in front and a farmhouse on the horizon.

Postcard of hemp shocks standing in a Kentucky field — “A Kentucky Hemp Field.”Postcard · title as printed
Shocks of hemp standing in rows across the field.

Postcard of a Kentucky hemp field with the title in red script — “A Kentucky Hemp Field.”Postcard · title in red script
Another hemp field, in softer colours with the title in red script.

Linen postcard of the log cabin where Abraham Lincoln’s parents were married — “Cabin in which Parents of Abraham Lincoln were Married ‘In Old Kentucky’—K25”Linen postcard · title as printed
A log cabin with a marker on the front wall.

Postcard of a log cabin at Harrodsburg captioned Kentucky’s First Cabin — “Kentucky’s First Cabin, Built in 1774, Harrodsburg, Ky., by Jas. Harrod.”Postcard · title as printed
A log cabin by the water under a big tree.

Album page V

Kentucky Wonders

9 cards

Natural Bridge, Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Falls and High Bridge.

Postcard of a man standing beneath the Natural Bridge stone arch — “Natural Bridge, Kentucky.”Postcard · title as printed
A man stands under the stone arch for scale. He doesn’t take up much of it.

Linen postcard of Natural Bridge with pines along the ridge — “Natural Bridge, ‘In Old Kentucky’—K16”Linen postcard · title as printed
The arch from further off, with pines along the ridge.

Linen postcard of the Bridal Altar rock formation in Mammoth Cave — “Bridal Altar in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky”Linen postcard · KE-12
Stone columns form an altar deep in the cave.

Linen postcard of boats on Echo River inside Mammoth Cave — “Echo River, 360 Ft. Underground in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky”Linen postcard · KE-11
Boats of visitors out on the underground river.

Linen postcard of the wide Cumberland Falls — “Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky”Linen postcard · KE-13
The full width of the falls.

Postcard of Cumberland Falls seen from the side — “Cumberland Falls, Kentucky”Postcard · title as printed
The falls from the side, between the rock wall and the pines.

Tall linen postcard of a craggy rock above Cumberland Falls — “Ancient Guardian of the Falls, Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky”Tall linen postcard · © E. C. Barner, Corbin, Ky.
A craggy rock keeps watch over the falls.

Linen postcard of High Bridge over the Kentucky River gorge — “High Bridge over the Kentucky River, Kentucky”Linen postcard · title as printed
The railroad bridge strung high across the river gorge.

Postcard looking up the Kentucky River between cliffs from High Bridge — “Looking up the Kentucky River from High Bridge, High Bridge, Ky.”Postcard · “Shaker Town in the distance.”
The river bending away between the cliffs.

Album page VI

Louisville & Churchill Downs

3 cards

The Seelbach and the Downs.

Postcard of the tall Seelbach Hotel in Louisville with a decorated roofline — “The Seelbach, Louisville, Ky.”Postcard · title as printed
The Seelbach Hotel, which opened in 1905.

Linen postcard of the Churchill Downs grandstand with twin spires — “L-19—Grand Stand at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.”Linen postcard · title as printed
The grandstand and its twin spires, with flower beds in the infield.

Postcard of a race finish at Churchill Downs with packed stands — “‘The Finish,’ Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky”Postcard · V75 · © Caufield & Shook, Louisville
Packed stands and horses coming down the stretch, from high above the crowd.

Album page VII

Around Kentucky & Beyond

4 cards

Frankfort, Fort Knox, a 1905 note to a Frankfort distillery and the bridges to Cincinnati.

Linen postcard of the Kentucky State Capitol and Governor’s Mansion at Frankfort — “State Capitol and Governor’s Mansion at Frankfort, ‘In Old Kentucky’—K1”Linen postcard · title as printed
The domed Capitol above the trees, with the Governor’s Mansion to the left.

Linen postcard of the United States Gold Depository at Fort Knox with an American flag — “United States Gold Depository, Fort Knox, Kentucky”Linen postcard · title as printed
A granite vault with the flag flying, finished in 1936.

1905 government postal card addressed to Geo. T. Stagg Co., Frankfort, Ky., with a Cincinnati postmark — To Geo. T. Stagg Co., Frankfort, Ky.Government postal card · Cincinnati, Sep. 2, 1905 · has a back
A one-cent postal card sent from Cincinnati to the distillery. Flip it to read the complaint: “Gents, In your letter of Aug 31/05 you wrote me that you sent by express a sample of O.F.C. … I have not as yet received same. Trusting to hear from you immediately…” O.F.C. was a Stagg brand. More Stagg is on the Bottle Cellar’s Stagg Shelf.

Postcard air view of Cincinnati and the bridges across the Ohio River — “Air View—Ohio River and Bridges Connecting Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio”Postcard · No. 30
Downtown Cincinnati from the air, with bridges crossing the Ohio from Kentucky.

Album page VII½

Family Mail

1 card

Kept because of who sent it.

Big-letter linen postcard reading Greetings from Cincinnati Ohio, Gateway to the South — Great-Grandpa Youie Shaw’s card from Grandpa Teddy“Greetings from Cincinnati, Ohio · ‘Gateway to the South’” · postmarked Covington, Ky., Feb. 12, 1946 · has a back
Grandpa Teddy bought this card and mailed it home to Mr. Youie Shaw in Carlisle, Ky. Flip it to read: “Dear Helen, Just a line… fine O.K. and [no] snow at all. I’m on my way home… now & saw this card & thought I’d send it. Saw some pretty watches in the windows but are awful high. I’d think you’d rather have a ring & a pretty band for your watch. …” It’s signed “(Love to all of you) Teddie.” See Teddy’s sketches

Album page VIII

Mailed

1 card

Somebody else’s mail that came with the collection: a written back, a stamp and a postmark.

Handwritten postcard back postmarked Richmond, Ky., with a green one-cent stamp — A Back from Richmond, Ky.“Post Card” back · postmarked Richmond, Ky., Feb. 8 · green one-cent stamp
Written edge to edge in ink and mailed to a Miss Sarah in Mercer Co., Kentucky. The year on the postmark and most of the message are too faint to read with confidence, so it isn’t transcribed. Only the back came with the lot.

Album page IX

Comic Cards

10 cards

The ones that got a laugh at the mailbox.

Comic postcard of a bear chasing a startled woman, captioned Bearly able to write now, I’ve got a big bear behind — “Bearly Able to Write Now— I’ve Got a Big Bear Behind!”Comic linen card
A bear on her heels, at a full run.

Comic Florida beach postcard of a man sitting among bathing beauties — “Greetings from Florida— Where I’m Taking In the Points of Interest”Comic postcard
A fellow on the beach, admiring the scenery.

Comic postcard of a man hanging diapers on a clothesline next to a baby — “There’s Been a Lot of Changes Here”Comic postcard
A full clothesline and a brand-new baby.

Black-and-white comic card of a man in a wrecked bedroom — “Mr Jim Jams— If you’re a live monkey you’re in a hell of a fix; if you ain’t a live monkey I’m in a hell of a fix.”Comic card
A wrecked bedroom and a wild-eyed man.

Photo postcard of three elderly women in white bonnets gossiping over tea — “The Talk of the Town”Photo postcard
Three ladies in bonnets, a teacup and a good story. It shares a name with the family restaurant in Carlisle.

Comic postcard of a small cowboy throwing a lasso — “Here’s a line to you.”Comic postcard · signed “Wall”
A little cowboy in a big hat throws his lasso across the card.

Comic postcard captioned I’m simply carried away with a handwritten note in ink — “I’m simply carried away.”Comic postcard · Myer, No. 65
The picture is the joke. Underneath, the sender wrote in ink: “… Everything is glorious. Have you seen anyone since I left … at home.” The names are too faint to read with confidence.

Comic postcard of a stretched-out racehorse at Churchill Downs — “Greetings from Louisville, Ky.”Comic postcard · “Today’s ‘Long Shot’ at Churchill Downs”
A racehorse stretched to about twice its proper length, jockey and all.

Comic Greetings from Kentucky postcard with a grazing racehorse, a bottle and speech balloons — “Greetings from Kentucky, The Blue Grass State”Comic postcard · signed H. Dean
A jockey’s horse stops to graze: “T’heck with the Kentucky Derby—I’ll take this Kentucky blue grass.” A bottle brags “I’m a big shot around here,” and somebody in the corner sings “My Old Kentucky Home.”

Comic postcard Life in Old Kentucky showing a mountain feud with a jug marked XXX — “Life in Old Kentucky”Comic postcard · C37 · © E. C. Kropp Co.
A mountain feud in full swing, with gunfire, flying hats and a jug marked XXX.