By the numbers

The collection includes images of buildings that no longer exist, such as Marquand Chapel, which burned down in 1920.

A collection of more than 500 historical postcards depicting the Princeton University campus and the towns surrounding it made its online debut in July. Images of the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library’s Historical Postcard Collection are available in the University Library’s Digital Collections website at diglib.princeton.edu.

• Most of the postcards are from the 1900s through the 1960s, offering a view of the campus grounds and buildings as they looked during the first half of the 20th century. The collection features monochrome and color postcards, canceled and unmarked.
• There are images of buildings that no longer exist, such as the John C. Green School of Science, which was located near the site of Firestone Library and burned down in 1928, and Marquand Chapel, which was located to the east of Nassau Hall and was destroyed by fire in 1920. Historically significant buildings such as Nassau Hall and Alexander Hall are captured, as well as images of the campus landscape and the areas surrounding the campus. Several postcards show the old “Dinky” train station, which was moved south in the 1920s, with Blair Hall behind it and horse-drawn carriages in front of it. Also included are several souvenir Princetoniana postcards, which feature vivid orange banners and tigers.
• The collection was developed over several decades through numerous acquisitions from alumni and other donors. It is open to the public for viewing at the Mudd Library.
• Several of the postcards are inscribed on the back. The sender of one depicting Murray-Dodge Hall wrote, “This is one of the university buildings. The green coloring is no exaggeration. It is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen.”

Courtesy of the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library