POTSDAM -- SUNY Potsdam postcards in a new Potsdam Public Museum exhibit date from 1905 to the present.

It will open at the Museum, 2 Park St., on Saturday, March 28.

It includes early 20th century postcards showing the original Crane School of Music.

Also displayed is an early leather postcard of the Potsdam Normal School.

One of the cards, above, dates to about 1910 and shows the original Potsdam Normal School Building. This building was completed in 1868 and was demolished in 1917 to make way for what later became known as Snell Hall.

In 1866, the New York State Legislature established new “Normal Schools” and Potsdam was chosen to be one of the first four locations.

Normal schools trained high school graduates to be teachers.

Their purpose was to establish teaching standards, or “norms,” hence the name. Originally, the normal school curriculum lasted three years. They later became known as teachers colleges.

By 1886, the Potsdam Normal School became the first institution to offer a normal teaching course for public school music teachers in the United States. Founded by Julia E. Crane, the Crane Normal Institute of Music continues to this day as the Crane School of Music.

SUNY Potsdam was known by many different names over the years. After becoming the Potsdam Normal School in 1867, it became known as the “Potsdam State Teachers College” in 1942, the State University Teachers College at Potsdam in 1948, the State University College of Education at Potsdam in 1959 and the State University College at Potsdam in 1961.