Potsdam postcard, ca. 1960, by Canton photographer Dwight Church.

POTSDAM -- The Potsdam Public Museum begins a new quarterly lecture series, “History at Noon,” with “A Postcard Journey Around St. Lawrence County” presented by museum staffer Fred Rollins Tuesday, Sept. 25.

Each of these presentations begins shortly after noon and ends shortly before o'clock. Participants are encouraged to bring a bag lunch; refreshments will be provided by the museum.

Picture postcards of the type in this presentation have been around since the 1890s and continue to be produced to this day. From 1905 to the outbreak of World War I in 1914, there was a period known as the “Postcard Craze” era. During this time, everyone sent postcards whenever they went traveling, even just for short distances, and St. Lawrence County was no exception.

Fred Rollins has been collecting St. Lawrence County cards since 1973, and has amassed close to 10,000 different postcards of the county. While many of the cards are from the larger communities such as Potsdam and Massena, perhaps the most fascinating postcards come from much smaller communities such as Kalurah and Brasie Corners.

Participants will come away with a good basic understanding of the postcards of St. Lawrence County, and they are also invited to bring in their own postcards for identification by Rollins. He is a native of Potsdam and is director of the Western New York Postcard Club.

The Potsdam Public Museum is open to the public with a suggested donation at the door. Located in the Potsdam Civic Center at 2 Park Street, the museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit www.PotsdamPublicMuseum.org or call the museum at 265-6910.