Territorial Arizona
Arizona was a territory until February 14, 1912, and postcards from before statehood capture a frontier of mining camps, railroad towns, ranches and adobe settlements. Real photo views from the territorial years, especially of small towns and mining camps, are scarce and prized. A card captioned or postmarked "Arizona Territory" or "Ariz. Ter." is a nice touch for collectors.
Copper country
Copper made Arizona. Mining towns such as Bisbee, Jerome, Globe, Miami, Ajo and Clifton-Morenci produced postcards of mines, smelters, headframes, company stores and steep hillside streets. Real photo cards of miners, smelter crews and mining towns are among the most sought-after Arizona cards.
The Grand Canyon and natural wonders
The Grand Canyon became a major tourist destination after the railroad reached the South Rim in the early 1900s, and the Fred Harvey Company, which operated hotels and shops there and along the Santa Fe railway, published large numbers of postcards. Common canyon scenics are plentiful; early real photos, mule trains, hotels, camps and unusual views are more collectible. The Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert produced similar cards.
Route 66 and the roadside
Route 66 crossed northern Arizona through towns like Holbrook, Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman and Kingman, and the roadside culture it created, motor courts, cafes, gas stations and trading posts, appears on many linen and chrome cards. Specific named businesses are the most wanted. See Route 66 postcards.
Missions, ranches and towns
Spanish missions such as San Xavier del Bac near Tucson, cattle ranches, irrigation projects and the growth of Phoenix and Tucson all appear on postcards. Early street scenes and depots of smaller towns are the scarce ones.
What is common
Printed desert scenics, cactus cards, sunsets and later chrome resort and dude ranch views were made in large numbers.
Places and subjects to look for
- Copper towns: Bisbee, Jerome, Globe and Miami, Clifton and Morenci, and Ajo, with their mines, smelters and hillside streets.
- Route 66 towns: Holbrook, Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman and Kingman, and the trading posts between them.
- Southern Arizona: Tucson's early streets, the missions and the ranches along the border country.
- Phoenix and the Salt River Valley: irrigation canals, citrus and the growth of the capital.
- The Grand Canyon: early hotels, mule trains, camps and the railroad at the South Rim.
- Railroad towns along the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific lines, with their depots and Harvey Houses.
Real photos versus printed views in Arizona
Arizona's scenery was printed in huge numbers, from canyon panoramas to saguaro sunsets, and those cards are common. Real photo cards of mining crews, small-town streets, depots and roadside businesses were made in much smaller numbers by local photographers, and they carry most of the value in an Arizona collection.
Harvey Houses
The Fred Harvey Company ran restaurants and hotels along the Santa Fe railway, staffed by the famous Harvey Girls, and many Arizona railroad towns had one. Postcards of Harvey Houses and their staff are collected by railroad and Southwest enthusiasts.
More questions
Are Bisbee and Jerome postcards valuable? Real photos of the mines, smelters and streets are among the more collectible Arizona cards.
Are Route 66 postcards from Arizona collectible? Yes, especially named motor courts, cafes, gas stations and trading posts.
Do you buy collections with Arizona cards mixed in? Yes, as complete collections.
Questions about Arizona postcards
Are Arizona Territory postcards valuable? Real photos from before 1912 of small towns and mining camps are among the more valuable Arizona cards.
Are Fred Harvey Grand Canyon postcards worth anything? Most common views are modest; early and unusual cards are collected.
Do you buy Arizona collections? Yes, complete collections from anywhere in the state.
Ranching and the border country
Cattle ranching shaped much of southern and central Arizona, and postcards show roundups, cowboys, corrals and ranch houses, along with the dude ranches that drew visitors from the 1920s onward. Real photos of working ranches and roundups are popular with Western collectors. Border towns such as Nogales and Douglas, with their customs houses, streets and smelters, produced their own cards, and early views of these towns are less common than Phoenix and Tucson cards.
Dams and irrigation
The Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River, completed in the early twentieth century, transformed the Phoenix area by storing water for irrigation, and its construction and dedication appear on many cards. Irrigation canals, citrus groves and the farming towns that grew up around them document the transformation of the desert into farmland. Construction real photos of dams and canals are of interest to collectors of engineering and regional history.
Are Arizona dude ranch postcards collectible? Some are, especially early real photos of named ranches, though many later chromes are common.
Are Tucson and Phoenix postcards valuable? Early real photo street scenes are; common printed views and later chromes are modest.
What about Arizona mining town real photos with no caption? Uncaptioned views can often be identified from buildings and headframes; describe where the collection came from and include a photo.