Greetings from Raleigh
One of the most iconic of all postcard styles, this is Raleigh’s version of “Greetings from …” Each letter features a unique landmark from across the Capital, with NC State’s Bell Tower featured most prominently on the front.
KEYS TO VIEWS ON OTHER SIDE:–
R — Capitol
A — Library, NC State College
L — Confederate Monument
E — Wake County Court House
I — Birthplace of Andrew Johnson
G — Meredith College
H — Chief Justice BuildingPUB. BY RALEIGH NEWS AGENCY, RALEIGH, NC
NATURAL COLOR POST CARD MADE IN U.S.A. BY E.C. KROPP CO., MILWAUKEE, WIS. (ADY)
Although there is no date on the card, you can get a good idea of when it was published based on the buildings and names on the front. The Court House featured on the front was torn down in 1967, and NC State changed its name to North Carolina State University at Raleigh in 1965. It goes back even further though, as it shows Brooks Hall when it was originally D.H. Hill Library. D.H. Hill moved to its current location in 1953, so this postcard goes back at least 60 years, but likely more.
Perhaps a typography historian out there can wager a guess on the postcard’s date according to how it looks.
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03/18/2011
This from the UNC archives says circa 1930-1945:
http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/nc_post&CISOPTR=634&CISOBOX=1&REC=11
03/19/2011
It was back when Meredith had stairs on the front of Johnson hall… and as a proud Meredith girl I can tell you they haven’t had stairs for DECADES. Leland’s time frame sounds pretty accurate.
03/21/2011
Nice example of a ‘big letter’ postcard. This looks like an early one. My guess of its age would be 1940s — the typography looks like that of the ‘moderne’ era (late ’30s – ’40s) and the Justice Building was completed in 1940. So, since DH Hill moved out of Brooks Hall in 1953, I’d say 1940s would be it. Love the way ‘North Carolina’ is inscribed on the descender of the ‘g’ in Raleigh.