Micro-stories + historic artifacts
Before phones, a summit postcard was the original “I was here.” This page is both a small archive of old cards and a modern tradition: short, dated summit “postcards” written in the same spirit.
Tip: scan or photograph both front + back (including postmark) to preserve context.
What you’ll find
This is a living page — it grows as new cards are added.
Long before selfies and signal bars, postcards were the original “proof.” Visitors mailed messages to friends and family from Mount Washington to capture the drama of wind, clouds, cold, and the bragging rights of standing on the highest peak in the Northeast.
Postcards as a mass tourism phenomenon took off in the late 1800s and early 1900s. That’s when scenic cards became common in the U.S., and Mount Washington—already a famous destination—naturally became postcard territory.
This timeline is intentionally simple. The real history lives in the cards themselves.
Circa 1875 • “Summit postcard” (needs postmark confirmation)
This is one of the oldest items in my Mount Washington postcard collection. It appears to predate the big postcard boom years, which makes it especially interesting. Once the postmark and publisher details are documented, this entry will be updated with precise dating and context.
When you add your scan/photos, this section can become a museum-style artifact entry:
If you upload clear photos of the front and back, the handwriting can be transcribed and the postmark can usually settle the exact year.
Keep it short. Make it specific. Imagine you only have a small rectangle of space and you want to send someone a moment from the mountain.
[Date] — [Location]
Wind: [ ] • Temp: [ ] • Visibility: [ ]
[3–6 sentences about what you saw / felt / noticed.]
— [Your name or initials]
These can be your own entries, or eventually community posts once a forum is live.
These are the “new postcards”: short notes written in the same spirit as old summit mail. Replace the placeholders below with your real dated entries.
Conditions: (add wind/temp/visibility if you want)
The first summit day of the season has that “new chapter” feeling. Wind doesn’t ask permission. Visibility comes and goes like a curtain. Every photo looks staged by the weather.
Conditions: (add wind/temp/visibility if you want)
The summit is a sculpture garden made of ice. Everything looks like it was dipped in white flame. The wind edits your thoughts down to one line: keep moving.
Conditions: (add wind/temp/visibility if you want)
Packed track, cold light, and that quiet moment where the mountain feels like it’s listening back. Fingers go numb fast. You learn what matters.