T. A. Carlson's Real Photo Postcards: Promoting the American Dream in Nebraska

Abstract:In the early 1900s thousands of postcards were exchanged daily in the United States. Photographers producing postcards often captured signs of progress to promote and sell place. One of those photographers was T. A. Carlson. Carlson's studio was located in Holdrege, Nebraska, yet he worked in several counties in south-central Nebraska in the 1890s and early 1900s, including Dawson, Frontier, Gosper, Harlan, Kearney, and Phelps. Carlson's images reveal his mastery of contemporary photographic techniques and his keen awareness of proper angles, depth, and lighting necessary to capture detailed images. As a photographer and later a real estate agent, Carlson possessed a clear understanding of promoting and selling place. Not only aiming to sell individual buildings or businesses, Carlson's work also defines community and conveys prosperity. Elements such as local businesses, churches, farmsteads, neighborhoods, parks, and schools point to community pride in place. Carlson's work boldly declares that central Nebraska communities were thriving and here to stay.