A small state with a big industrial history
Delaware's northern end, around Wilmington, was heavily industrial. The DuPont company began as a gunpowder maker on the Brandywine River in the early 1800s, and mills of many kinds lined the river. Wilmington built ships, railroad cars, leather and much more. Postcards of mills, shipyards and Wilmington's streets and parks document that industrial life.
Downstate
South of the canal, Delaware was a land of farms, small towns, fishing villages and, later, poultry and canning operations. Real photo cards of these towns, their main streets, depots, churches and businesses, were made in small numbers and are scarce. Collectors of Delaware actively seek them.
The beaches
Rehoboth Beach, Bethany and Lewes became summer destinations, and early cards show boardwalks, hotels, bathing scenes and cottages. Early real photos are more interesting than later chrome beach cards.
The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
The canal crossing the state's northern section, connecting the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay, appears on cards with its bridges, locks and boats.
Places and subjects to look for
- Wilmington: shipyards, mills, Market Street, parks and neighborhoods.
- The Brandywine: powder mills, the river and mill villages.
- New Castle: the historic town and its waterfront.
- Dover: the capital, its green and government buildings.
- Kent and Sussex counties: farm towns, depots, canneries and churches.
- The beaches: Rehoboth, Lewes and the coast.
Why Delaware cards are scarce
Postcard production followed population. With a smaller population and fewer towns than its neighbors, Delaware simply produced fewer cards. That makes a good Delaware real photo more notable, and it is one reason collectors of the state are attentive to what turns up.
Real photos versus printed views
Wilmington and Dover landmarks were printed in quantity. Real photos of downstate towns and rural scenes carry most of the value in Delaware material.
What is common
Printed views of Wilmington landmarks and later chrome beach cards are the most common Delaware cards.
Delaware cards in a collection
Delaware cards often turn up in collections from the surrounding states, particularly Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. A few scarce downstate real photos can add meaningfully to a collection's value.
Churches and old towns
Delaware's colonial history left old churches, meeting houses and historic towns, and postcards of them were popular with visitors. New Castle, with its courthouse and colonial streets, and the old churches of the countryside appear on many cards. Early real photos of these places, especially with people and activity, are more interesting than standard printed views.
Roads and bridges
The DuPont Highway, built in the early twentieth century and among the early modern highways in the country, and the bridges and ferries connecting Delaware to New Jersey and Maryland, appear on cards that interest road and transportation collectors.
Questions about Delaware postcards
Are Delaware postcards rare? Delaware produced fewer cards than most states, so good real photos, especially downstate, are scarce.
Are Wilmington postcards valuable? Common printed views are modest; real photos of mills, shipyards and neighborhoods are more collectible.
Are Rehoboth Beach postcards worth anything? Early real photos are collected; later chromes are common.
Do you buy collections with Delaware cards? Yes, complete collections, by mail.
Farming, canning and poultry
Delaware's agricultural economy changed over the twentieth century, from orchards and truck farms to canneries and, later, the poultry industry that came to dominate Sussex County. Real photo postcards of canneries, farm work and agricultural fairs document that change. They are uncommon and of interest to collectors of the state and of agricultural history.
Delaware Bay and the waterfront
Towns along Delaware Bay and its rivers had oyster fleets, fishing villages, ferries and steamboat landings. Real photo cards of these waterfront communities, especially with boats and workers, are scarce and desirable. Lewes, at the mouth of the bay, with its pilots, lighthouses and breakwater, appears on many early cards.