Correspondence
People use postcards to correspond with each other, but the way they have used postcards to communicate has changed over time. The postcards in this gallery show how postcards began as a quick way to send short communications between individuals, but have since evolved to be used for longer communications and for requests between academics. While the typical use for a postcard is to report on having a nice time on vacation in a new place – “wish you were here” – several of these postcards were used to send routine, short notes. The first section of this gallery contains postcards also found in the individual museum galleries that have messages on them. The second section of this gallery contains postcards mailed to or from Smithsonian staff throughout the years.
![Grayscale Postcard of the Castle Grayscale Postcard of the Castle](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/sibe2.jpg&max_w=300)
![Grayscale Postcard of the Smithsonian Institution Castle, February 13, 1905, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-06633 (front) and SIA2013-06634 (back). Grayscale Postcard of the Smithsonian Institution Castle](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-06633/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of the U.S. National Museum and a Garden, by Unknown, September 11, 1907, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2275 (front) and SIA2011-2276 (back). Postcard of the U.S. National Museum and a Garden](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2275/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of the Patent Office Building #9743, July 3, 1908, A.C. Bosselman & Co., Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, patent8.jpg Postcard of the Patent Office Building #9743, July 3, 1908, A.C. Bosselman & Co., Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, patent8.jpg](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/patent8_0.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the Smithsonian Castle and Henry Statue, by Unknown, May 6, 1909, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2299 (front) and SIA2011-2300 (back). Postcard of the Smithsonian Castle and Henry Statue](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2299/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of Rock Creek Park Postcard of Rock Creek Park](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/rock2.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the National Museum, February 5, 1911, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2291 (front) and SIA2011-2292 (back). Postcard of the National Museum](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2291/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of Boulder Bridge in Rock Creek Park, by B.S. Reynolds Co. Washington, DC, April 9, 1911, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2307 (front) and SIA2011-2308 (back). Postcard of Boulder Bridge in Rock Creek Park](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2307/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of the New National Museum, December 7, 1913, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2287 (front) and SIA2011-2288 (back). Postcard of the New National Museum](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2287/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of the Patent Office Building, April 1917, The Washington News Company, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, patent6.jpg Postcard of the Patent Office Building, April 1917, The Washington News Company, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, patent6.jpg](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/patent6.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the New Post Office Postcard of the New Post Office](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/postoffice1.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the Castle #2722 Postcard of the Castle #2722](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/sib9.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the Smithsonian Castle, by B.S. Reynolds Co. Washington, DC, June 21, 1921, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2303 (front) and SIA2011-2304 (back). Postcard of the Smithsonian Castle](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2303/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of the Smithsonian Institution "Castle" Building, by B.S. Reynolds Co. Washington, DC, April 1, 1923, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-01063 (front) and SIA2013-01064 (back). Postcard of the Smithsonian Institution "Castle" Building](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-01063/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of New National Museum and DC, by B.S. Reynolds Co. Washington, DC, May 24, 1928, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-01125 (front) and SIA2013-01126 (back). Postcard of New National Museum and DC](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-01125/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of the New National Museum, by B.S. Reynolds Co. Washington, DC, August 9, 1928, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2305 (front) and SIA2011-2306 (back). Postcard of the New National Museum](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2305/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of the Old National Museum #21202, May 1, 1931, B.S. Reynolds Co., Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, ai8.jpg and ai8back.jpg Postcard of the Old National Museum #21202, May 1, 1931, B.S. Reynolds Co., Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, ai8.jpg and ai8back.jpg](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/ai8.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the Castle to W.H. Moore Postcard of the Castle to W.H. Moore](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/sib11.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the Old National Museum, by Capitol Souvenir Company, April 13, 1939, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-2285 (front) and SIA2011-2286 (back). Postcard of the Old National Museum](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-2285/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Used Postcard of a Hansom Cab Used Postcard of a Hansom Cab](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/exhibits3.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of the National Museum, August 29, 1945 Postcard of the National Museum, August 29, 1945](https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-images/nhb6.jpg&max_w=300)
![Postcard of Habana Central Park and Plaza Hotel, by Unknown, c. 1908, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07765 (front) and SIA2013-07766 (back). Postcard of Habana Central Park and Plaza Hotel](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07765/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of a Jackrabbit Herding Cattle, by Unknown, September 8, 1939, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07763 (front) and SIA2013-07764 (back). Postcard of a Jackrabbit Herding Cattle](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07763/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard from Lima, Peru, by Unknown, March 18, 1942, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07888 (front) and SIA2013-07889 (back). Postcard from Lima, Peru](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07888/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard to Joseph Hirshhorn, by Calder, Alexander, November 5, 1955, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2011-1524 (front) and SIA2011-1525 (back). Postcard to Joseph Hirshhorn](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2011-1524/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of Organ at Oude Kerk Amsterdam, by Unknown, August 13, 1965, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07739 (front) and SIA2013-07740 (back). Postcard of Organ at Oude Kerk Amsterdam](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07739/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of Organ at La Chaise-Dieu, by Unknown, July 1, 1968, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07737 (front) and SIA2013-07738 (back). Postcard of Organ at La Chaise-Dieu](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07737/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of Organ at Klosterkirche St. Urban, by Unknown, July 24, 1968, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07735 (front) and SIA2013-07736 (back). Postcard of Organ at Klosterkirche St. Urban](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07735/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard to James Weaver, by Tarr, Edward H, May 14, 1969, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07745 (front) and SIA2013-07746 (back). Postcard to James Weaver](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07745/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of White Tiger Cub, by Capitol Souvenir Company, circa December 1970, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07832 (front) and SIA2013-07833 (back). Postcard of White Tiger Cub](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07832/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of Organ at St. Michaelskerk, by Unknown, 1976, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07743 (front) and SIA2013-07744 (back). Postcard of Organ at St. Michaelskerk](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07743/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard of Painting of an Organ, by Eichenfield, Lisa Compton, September 25, 1978, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07741 (front) and SIA2013-07742 (back). Postcard of Painting of an Organ](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07741/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Panda Postcard to Ling-Ling, June 24, 1987, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07880 (front) and SIA2013-07881 (back). Panda Postcard to Ling-Ling](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07880/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard to Don Wilson from Japan, by Unknown, August 2000, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07747 (front) and SIA2013-07748 (back). Postcard to Don Wilson from Japan](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07747/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard to Don Wilson from Arizona, by Unknown, 2001, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07749 (front) and SIA2013-07750 (back). Postcard to Don Wilson from Arizona](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07749/full/300,/0/default.jpg)
![Postcard to Don Wilson from Kyoto University, by Unknown, 2008, Smithsonian Archives - History Div, SIA2013-07751 (front) and SIA2013-07752 (back). Postcard to Don Wilson from Kyoto University](https://ids.si.edu/ids/iiif/SIA-SIA2013-07751/full/300,/0/default.jpg)