New Acquisition and Archives Exhibit: Lutheran Historical Postcards

Front of postcard depicting Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.

The Seminary Archives have recently received a donation of over 700 Lutheran historical postcards! Spanning across the United States and into Canada, the collection contains images of Lutheran camps, colleges universities, schools, hospitals, orphanages, and retirement homes.

Back of postcard, postmarked December 6, 1915.

Some of the postcards contain correspondence, which is a rare find. This one in particular was mailed to Nova Scotia, Canada from Gettysburg on December 6, 1915. The sender, Mrs. Henry Wherley writes to her friend, Mrs. Austin Cleveland, mentioning a recent snowfall, the upcoming Christmas holiday, and that Mrs. Cleveland's mother has fallen ill. Mrs. Wherley asks, "did you even try rubbing dog fat on her legs...?" Quite a strange remedy, which I don't think became too popularized over the century! If you know anything about this so-called "remedy," leave a comment below!

To view more of the historical postcard collection, stop by the Library Lobby where an assortment are on display, or contact  Assistant Archivist, Sheila Joy at sjoy@ltsg.edu or via telephone at 717-339-1317.