Factory towns
Connecticut was one of the country's most industrial states, with mills and factories in towns and cities across it. The Naugatuck Valley, centered on Waterbury, made brass and was known as the Brass City. Clockmaking was concentrated in towns such as Bristol and Thomaston. Hartford and New Haven had firearms makers, and textile mills lined rivers in the eastern part of the state. Real photo cards of factories, workers and the mill villages around them are popular with collectors of industrial history.
Villages and greens
The classic New England village, with a white church on the green, a general store and a few elegant houses, appears on a great many Connecticut cards. Printed views of larger towns are common; real photos of small villages, crossroads stores and rural post offices are scarcer and more wanted.
Trolleys
In the early twentieth century, trolley and interurban lines connected Connecticut's cities and towns, and postcards of trolleys, car barns and trolley parks are popular with transportation collectors. Many lines were abandoned in the 1920s and 1930s, so the cards are often the best surviving images.
The shoreline
The Long Island Sound shoreline from Greenwich to Stonington had summer cottage colonies, beaches, hotels, casinos and amusement parks. Shoreline resort cards are common in their printed form, but real photos of specific cottage colonies, beach scenes with people and small resort businesses are collected.
Maritime Connecticut
New London, Groton, Mystic and Stonington have long maritime histories, with shipyards, whaling heritage, submarines and fishing fleets. Waterfront, ship and shipyard cards interest maritime collectors.
Places and subjects to look for
- The Naugatuck Valley: Waterbury, Naugatuck, Ansonia and the brass mills.
- Clock towns: Bristol, Thomaston, Terryville and their factories.
- The Quiet Corner: small mill villages and farms in the northeast.
- The Litchfield Hills: villages, greens and summer estates in the northwest.
- The shoreline: cottage colonies, beaches and resorts along the Sound.
- River towns: along the Connecticut River, with ferries, landings and bridges.
- Trolley lines and their parks.
Floods, fires and storms
The floods of 1936 and the hurricane of 1938 caused enormous damage across Connecticut, and real photo cards of the destruction were made in many towns. Earlier factory and town fires were also photographed. Disaster cards of identified places are collected.
Real photos versus printed views
Connecticut's cities and famous landmarks were printed in quantity, and those cards are common. Real photos of villages, mills, trolleys and local businesses carry most of the value in a typical Connecticut collection.
What is common
Printed views of Hartford's capitol and insurance buildings, Yale and New Haven, and later chrome shoreline cards are plentiful.
Connecticut collections
Connecticut albums often mix local views with cards from New York, Massachusetts and resort destinations. I look first for real photos of small towns, factories and trolleys.
Summer places and estates
The hills of Litchfield County and the shoreline drew wealthy summer residents from New York, and postcards show estates, inns, lakes and summer colonies. Lake Waramaug, Twin Lakes and other inland lakes had cottages and hotels, and real photo cards of these places, with boats, bathers and lodges, are pleasant and collectible.
Schools, colleges and institutions
Connecticut's colleges and preparatory schools, along with state institutions and hospitals, were photographed for postcards. Common views of major campuses are plentiful, but real photos of smaller schools, academies and their students interest local collectors.
Questions about Connecticut postcards
Are Connecticut trolley postcards valuable? Real photos of trolleys, car barns and trolley parks are popular with collectors.
Are Waterbury brass mill postcards collectible? Yes, especially real photos of mills and workers.
Are 1938 hurricane postcards valuable? Real photos of identified towns are collected.
Do you buy Connecticut collections? Yes, complete collections, by mail.
Why Connecticut village cards are worth a close look
Connecticut is small but densely settled, with more than 160 towns, and nearly every one of them has a historical society or a dedicated group of local collectors. Many villages, mill hamlets and shoreline neighborhoods were photographed only by a local druggist or a traveling photographer. Those real photos are often the only early images of a store, a trolley stop or a mill that has since disappeared, and they draw keen interest even when they look plain.