Local resident displays postcards old and new
Published on December 18th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - Picture this: Old Orchard Beach blanketed with tourists; The bustling World's Fair in New York, 1964; Revere Beach roaring with roller coasters and splashed with a colorful montage of faces on its pier.
To Arthur Bennett, 64, Stoneham resident, these are some of the many nostalgic scenes that make up his collection of over 23,000 different postcards.
Bennett, who has been collecting postcards for about 12 years, has accumulated snap shots of restaurants, hotels, sports stadiums, horse/dog tracks and scenes from a variety of locations, including Boston, Revere, Malden, Stoneham, Salem and Saugus to name a few. His collection ranges from 1900 to the present.
Many of his postcards, some beautifully colored and others black and white, depict places that no longer exist such as the amusement park at Revere Beach, or places that have changed significantly through time such as the public library in Stoneham.
Although most of his collection consists of individual cards, he also collects postcard books -- the ever-popular tourist souvenir consisting of a long string of connected postcards.
Bennett, who has lived in Stoneham for about 30 years, particularly focuses on scenes depicting Revere, one of the towns where he grew up. His Revere collection alone numbers between 500 and 600.
"The Revere scenes bring back a lot of childhood memories for me," he said.
One postcard depicting a roller coaster and another showing a tea cup-like ride make him smile as he recalls the times he spent at the amusement park as a child.
After having spent 12 years collecting postcards, Bennett knows exactly what to look for when buying the perfect card. He considers many factors, including the condition of the card, the price, how detailed the scene is, and whether or not he already has one like it.
He says that he buys most of his cards at antique shops, estate sales, flea markets, yard sales, or on e-bay. Bennett also attends the Bornstein show in Marlborough and is a member of the Bay State Post Card Collectors club that hosts shows in Arlington.
At shows such as one in Marlborough, a typical postcard costs him around $2, but he has paid as much as $20. With a collection as large as Bennett's, it's sometimes difficult for him to keep track of which cards he already has.
"Sometimes I get duplicates because I don't remember what I have," he said. According to Bennett, the biggest challenge is trying to find that one card he doesn't have.
Finding a place to keep such a large collection is another challenge. His collection, organized in photo albums according to place and city, is scattered throughout his home, wherever he can find the space.
Aside from postcards, Bennett also collects paper memorabilia such as Red Sox yearbooks dating back to the 1950's, magazines, sports and theatre programs, autographed baseballs and menus.
Bennett says postcards have a unique appeal compared to other collectibles such as baseball cards.
"With baseball cards, you just see a player on a card. Postcards are more conversational," he said.
His Stoneham collection is currently on display at the Stoneham Public Library. The display can be observed in two small cases in the library's main room until the beginning of January.
"It's very unexpected to see this collection when you walk into the library. It's as close to a museum as you can get," said Elaine McKenzie, reference librarian.
One can view pictures of the busy square in town, the theatre, post office, high school, and library to name a few local landmarks. The handwriting often scribbled on the back of the cards, indicates that many of them were sent from Stoneham residents to family and friends who lived far away, and gives a glimpse into their lives.
"I love to read what's on the back of them," said McKenzie.
McKenzie said that most viewers who have glanced at Bennett's collection have been surprised at how much Stoneham, especially the churches and facades, have remained the same.
For Bennett, it is rewarding to see the reactions of those who have lived in Stoneham and can remember the scenes depicted in his collection.
"I just saw a 95-year-old man the other day in the library who was astounded. Those pictures show places where he grew up," he said.
Aside from the library, Bennett's postcards of the Stoneham fire/police department and post office can also be found in the Stoneham volume of the "Images of America" series by Joanne B. Harriman. The Stoneham Historical Society has also displayed some of his collection.
According to McKenzie, anyone can reserve space at the library to display artwork, photographs or crafts. If interested, please call 781-438-1324 x23. "We welcome people like Mr. Bennett who have an unknown collection such as this," she said.
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