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Before 1907, the U.S. Post Office did not permit writing a message on the address side of postcards.  For that reason, many U.S. picture postcards mailed before then had messages written across their fronts.  Postcards with a divided back finally were permitted in the U.S. in March 1907; addresses were to be written on the postcard's right side, and messages on the left.  At that point in American history, the postcard hobby quickly became a public addiction, and publishers produced millions of cards in this era.  Photographers like Scottsville's William Burgess earned a good living by photographing local scenes and people to be printed as postcards via a lithographic process.  Burgess traveled all over Central Virginia to take such photographs and to sell his postcards to local stores.  When Burgess died in 1935, his estate contained over 485,000 postcards of various Virginia scenes and people.  Some of these extant Burgess postcards are shown below and can be distinguished from other photographers' work on this webpage by the 'W.E. Burgess' or 'Idylwood Studio' markings that Burgess usually put on the front of his postcards.

Please click on each image for a larger view.

Idylwood

Idylwood Image Number:  B53acdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Scottsville Bridge

Scottsville Bridge

Image Number:  B53bcdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Hatton Ferry, Est. 1870

Hatton Ferry

Image Number:  RM09cdRM08


Copyright � 2021 by Scottsville Museum


Horse Shoe Bend, Scottsville

Horse Shoe Bend, Scottsville

Image Number:  WP03cdWP01


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Valley Street in Scottsville, 1907

Valley Street in Scottsville, 1907

Image Number:  H136cdME04


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Scottsville High School on West Main

Scottsville High School on West Main

Image Number:  B53ccdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Horseshoe Bend and Valley Street, Scottsville

Horseshoe Bend and Valley Street, Scottsville

Image Number:  B53dcdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Valley Street in Scottsville

Valley Street, Scottsville Image Number:  B111cdB17


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Valley Street, Scottsville

Valley Street, Scottsville

Image Number:  Roll8Neg24A


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Scottsville's 'School on the Hill'

Scottsville's 'School on the Hill'

Image Number:  B54bcdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Scottsville Flour Mills and C&O Depot

Scottsville Flour Mills and C&O Depot

Image Number:  B54dcdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Birdseye View of Scottsville

Birdseye View of Scottsville Image Number:  B56dcdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


A View of Scottsville from Drever's Hill

A View of Scottsville from Drever's Hill Image Number:  WP05cdWP01


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Birdseye View of Scottsville Over a Mammoth Potato Patch

Birdseye View of Scottsville Over a Mammoth Potato Patch Image Number:  B57acdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Pine Knot, Hunting Lodge of Theodore Roosevelt

Pine Knot, Hunting Lodge of Theodore Roosevelt Image Number:  B68acdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Moore's Pond

Moore's Pond Image Number:  Roll8Neg4


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Confederate Reunion in Scottsville, 1908

Confederate Reunion in Scottsville, 1908 Image Number:  B73cdB17


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Confederate Reunion in Scottsville, 1908

Confederate Reunion in Scottsville, 1908 Image Number:  J87cdE6


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Horse Shoe Bend of the James River, Scottsville

Horse Shoe Bend of the James River, Scottsville Image Number:  B112cdB17


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Cars on Parade

Cars on Parade Image Number:  B51bcdB16


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


Crossing of C&O Seaboard and Southern Railways, Richmond

Crossing of C&O Seaboard and Southern Railways, Richmond Image Number:  WP09cdWP01


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum


C&O Railway Bridge, Bremo, VA

C&O Railway Bridge, Bremo, VA Image Number:  WP07cdWP01


Copyright � 2018 by Scottsville Museum




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© 2018 by Scottsville Museum