The following postcards reflect a variety of methods of transportation, including boats, trains, and cars within the United States. These vehicles, covering a wide range of mechanical complexity from man-powered rowboats to mid-20th century automobiles, show a progression of technology and— in turn— how that progress affected the ways in which people moved from place to place.

Boats

"Underground Boating Near Dock, Howe Caverns, N.Y." is the most simple method of transportation depicted within this postcard set. There is no motor visible on the boat, suggesting that it is human-powered. This postcard also reflects the prominance of tourist culture within the United States, as the Howe Caverns are advertised as a popular tourist destination.

"Steamer Hawthorne in Songo Lock, Maine" is the oldest dated postcard of this set. It demonstrates the prominance of the steamboat as a method of transportation, while the presence of multiple American flags alludes to the steamboat's status as an American symbol during this time period.

"Public Landing, Middleport, Ohio" shows another example of a steamboat, but this one— the Princess— is larger and more elaborate than the Steamer Hawthorne pictured above. This postcard also touches on the use of steamboats in commercial ventures, as the Princess was purchased and utilized by Coney Island five years after it was built.

"Launching an Ore Boat, Superior Ship Building Yards, Superior, Wis." illustrates the use of boats for cargo transport, as well as a public interest in these ships as demonstrated by the large crowd in attendance to watch the boat's launching. The presence of a large American flag again solidifies the connection between national identity and vehicle culture in the United States.

Trains

"Snow Banks on the Continental Divide" is a 1918 postcard depicting a stopped train surrounded by a snowbank. All three of the train postcards are presumably from the 1910s or 1920s, as train travel remained a prominant method of transport in the United States and abroad.

"Summit of Mt. McClellun Argentine Central Ry Colorado" shows another parked train surrounded by passengers, this time on the summit of a mountain. The only undated postcard of the train group, the outfits would suggest a similar date to the previous postcard. The front side advertises Red Cross Malt Tonic.

"Railroad Station, Houlton Main" provides an interesting intersection between train culture and automobile culture, as a large amount of cars are parked outside of the train station before passengers load onto the train cars for their journey. Cars have not yet replaced trains as a method of long-distance transportation, but the presence of so many cars signals that automobile ownership is becoming increasingly common within the United States.

Cars

"Land of the Shining Mountains Near Red Lodge, Montana"  is the first of the automobile postcards. It features a portrait of an automobile driving on a narrow, mountainous highway surrounded by snow, along with a handwritten note from "K & A" expressing their desire to return home.

"A Tour Through the Dream Highway", though an undated postcard, can be assumed to be published around 1940 when the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened— widely considered to be America's first superhighway. This postcard embodies the emerging importance of highways to American travel culture in the period surrounding World War II.

"The Clean Look of Action" features a portrait of a 1961 Buick Electra 225 Convertible in champagne gold with a personal note on the back of the postcard regarding the writer's own Buick. From 1961, it is one of the newer postcards within this exhibit and reflects how automobile culture has transformed into a personalized, collectible hobby in addition to just a way to get from Point A to Point B.