Columbus, Ohio Postcards & Images



Nothing better to knowing what a time and place were like decades ago than through photographs and especially postcards. The Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Library has gathered a large collection of images and made them accessible online.

There are three major divisions. First is the postcards section with over 9,000 postcards during the late 19th and most of the 20th century which cover every town and city on Ohio, not just Columbus. Such a grand view with descriptions of most aspects from the small to the large communities in the state. In the search, you can place a keyword, or search during a time period, county or a certain topic or subject. With each thumbnail image (which can be enlarged) is a description of each postcard.

The second collection is centered on historic photographs of Columbus, Ohio. Here will be 7,500 images to search for any of a family business, a neighborhood, an industrial area where an ancestor worked or the playgrounds for entertainment (theater, sports etc.). Very few locations have such a large collection on one city available online. The images are searchable, have a description and can be enlarged.
The third collection is titled Columbus Memory. Combined with the Columbus library and the historical society, here will be found additional images, primary documents, maps and artifacts about the grand city of Columbus. There is a search box where a neighborhood, a surname,or an event could be placed. Most of the collection feature documents, some quite interesting, including what prison life in Ohio was like in the 1800s.

A fairly easy online database site to use.  With the three types of images and documents it does offer an fine selection.  If you have any ancestors from Ohio and especially the Columbus area, check this one out.

Photo: Werner Company in Akron, Ohio, one of the largest printing and publishing plant in the 1890s.

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