ABOUT THE POSTCARDS

These postcard images depict various women taking part in recreational activities in an unknown area of the Adirondacks. The women, ranging in number from one to three, are the subjects of the respective images and are presented either fishing or hunting/shooting.

All of the images are in greyscale and were presumably taken on a Kodak camera. These cameras were handheld box cameras invented by George Eastman and placed on the market in 1888. A significant amount of St. Lawrence’s photo collection from the Adirondack Mountains was acquired in 2017 from Edward Comstock, an avid postcard collector and antiquarian.

The specific location, photographer, and company for these images are all unknown. Even though the context of these postcards remains somewhat ambiguous, they serve as a window into the culture and time in Adirondack history. Around the time these images were likely taken and made into postcards, tourism and vacationing in the region began to flourish among more than just the upper classes.

Tourism had a significant economic impact on the region and became one of its leading industries, assisted by the influence of postcards and other forms of promotion. These postcards represented the Adirondack mountains in a way that appealed to those seeking adventure and contact with wilderness. Though postcards were a common part of the era’s visual culture, these present untraditional characteristics. Due to the gender divisions of the period, it was uncommon to have women depicted doing traditionally masculine activities. Most of the outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, and hiking were largely practiced by woodsmen and guides, occupations traditionally held by men. These images are especially telling because of the unorthodox character and individuality of these women, who captured the adventurous spirit of the region and its inhabitants. -Eileen Carnes

 

Unknown photographers
Untitled postcards, c. late 19th to early 20th centuries
Each measures 3.5 x 5.5”
Adirondack Collection, Adirondack Postcards, mss. 32
Special Collections
Owen D. Young Library
St. Lawrence University
Canton, NY