Over 250 new postcards from the Braswell Memorial Library have been recently added to DigitalNC.

Before the ease of digital cameras and Instagram, postcards were the way that travelers documented and remembered their trips. Today, postcards are often seen as archaic souvenirs, though thoughtful; however, in the early to mid-twentieth century, they were a primary form of documenting travel, even in small towns across the United States.

Many of the postcards include personal notes, detailing some aspects of their travels. From these recent additions to Images of North Carolina you can track the travels of children writing home to their parents on summer adventures, farmers documenting the sales of produce as they traveled to markets, and couples reminding themselves of each motel where they stayed during a long road trip.

City Water Tower, Rock Mount, N.C.

Not only do the postcards tell small snippets of individuals’ travels, but this collection highlights many small businesses in Rocky Mount, N.C. and the surrounding areas of Edgecombe and Nash counties. Today’s postcards highlight the most prominent sites and views in a city, but these postcards display roadside motels, bar-b-cue restaurants, and downtown streets in small towns. Even the local high schools and churches were common features of postcards from this period.

These images of North Carolina offer a unique look at travel, tourism, and advertising from the early half of the twentieth century.

To see more from Braswell Memorial Library in Rocky Mount, N.C., please visit the contributor page. To see the more of the recently added postcards, limit the format of items from Braswell Memorial Library to “postcards.”

DigitalNC has added more photographs to the M.S. Brown Collection, provided  by the Edgecombe County Memorial Library. Milton Steele Brown, perhaps best known for opening a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Tarboro, was also an amateur photographer. This latest batch of photographs is the last of the collection that is housed by the Edgecombe County Memorial Library. Mr. Brown photographed a large variety of events and subjects, providing a glimpse into the lives of Tarboro and Edgecombe County citizens.

High School Dance

Tarboro High School Majorettes

United Daughters of the Confederacy Arch at Old Town Cemetery

Tarboro Open Air Market

More photographs of some of Mr. Brown’s more common subjects are included in this batch, including the Tarboro High School Band and Majorettes, many events where Coca-Cola was served or promoted, homes and businesses around the county, and much more.

Man standing by an iced cart of Coca-Cola

Girls at pool sitting on the Coca-Cola truck

For more information about what is included in the M.S. Brown Collection, visit the exhibit page or see these previous blog posts.

A number of new photographs from the Benson Museum of Local History have been uploaded to DigitalNC. These photos feature some of the prominent citizens of Benson, North Carolina, as well as everyday activities and life. Viewers who have been keeping up with the photographs provided by the Benson Museum of Local History will find some familiar surnames, such as McLamb, Parrish, Woodall, and Whittington, as well as some new faces.

Sutton and Phoebe Lee Holmes

This batch of photos also contains a few individuals who might be called local heroes. One man, Stephen O’Neal, was a wealthy businessman and donated land for Benson’s First Baptist Church. Another is an obituary for Bruce McLamb, who died in action in France during World War II.

Stephen O’Neal

Bruce McLamb

Also included in this batch is a number of drawings from a book published by the Eastern Carolina Chamber of Commerce. These drawings feature Benson men who were members of the Chamber and prominent in the financial and political life of town. In addition to the drawings of the men themselves, there are cartoons depicting some of their activities and business ventures as well as a short biography.

Preston Woodall

John W. Parrish

All photos provided by the Benson Museum of Local History can be viewed here. For more information about older batches, see our previous blog posts from June and September, and for more information about the museum itself and their collections, visit their contributor page or their website.