I found this pair of real photo postcards in New Hampshire this week and thought--think--they're really cool--including as reminders of how quickly technological innovation transforms society, again and again. (And reminding me, which I sometimes forget, that so many of things I buy and sell were made by candlelight!) It was the top photo here that drew me, with ELECTRIC SHOW spelled out in lights along one side of the exterior (like a premonition of Las Vegas), but then close/magnified inspection of the interior photo reveals it to be jam-packed with information, including the clearly readable names of an array of companies hosting booths and displays: Western Electric, Westinghouse, Wetmore Savage (Boston), Alberger Pump and Condenser Co (NYC) etc. I believe it is the 1912 Boston Electric Show at the Boston Mechanics Hall on Huntington Ave pictured, during which period shows focused on spectacle and wonder, showcasing futuristic appliances, wireless technology, electric pianos, and often dangerous demonstrations (like high-voltage human conduction), aiming to normalize electricity in homes.
Each 5 3/8" x 3 1/4". Sold as a pair. Both in very good condition. Stamped on reverse: C.O.Tucker, Boston, a Boston-based photographer active especially in the first decade of the 20th century, best known for producing real photo postcards.
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