At first glance, some might perceive them as old-fashioned and worthless, but don’t let initial impressions fool you. Postcards are an extraordinary window that connect people to art, history, cultures and even their own heritage.
Deltiology, or the study and collection of postcards, might be an unusual hobby, but that hasn’t hindered the efforts of Richmond’s Old Dominion Postcard Club to kindle appreciation for the vintage mailers.
For almost 50 years, the group has been a haven for those who enjoy discussing the history and art of postcards. It’s an energetic social club consisting of about 60 members with diverse interests and backgrounds.
“What really attracted me to the club was the people,” says Mike Uzel, club president. “You meet people from all walks of life in the club, anywhere from doctors and lawyers to plumbers and anything in between.”
Apart from their monthly meetings at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center on Monument Avenue, the club keeps an active website at odpcc.org and hosts exhibits and talks at venues around the region to help spread the hobby.
“Anyone is welcome to drop in and see what we do,” Uzel says.
Each November, they host the ODPCC Postcard & Paper Show. The 46-year-old celebration has been held at Chester’s Brightpoint Community College campus since 2013.
The show attracts numerous dealers from all over, and booths are filled with thousands of postcards catering to all budgets and preferences. There’s even a display contest for the club’s members. They can pick from one of four design categories, including area views or greetings, and create a postcard exhibit that designated judges and those attending vote on.
The Old Dominion Postcard Club’s beginnings go back to 1976, after two Baltimore-based postcard collectors and sellers showcased their work at a Richmond hotel.
“[They] ran an ad saying for postcard collectors to come and visit us,” says John Whiting, one of the club’s founding members. “Everyone that came, they took a dollar from each one and set it aside for a future postcard club in Richmond.”
In the end, Whiting received $28 to start the club, which was officially founded in April 1978. Its first event — held at Mechanicsville’s Antique Village — drew about 30 people, and the club has attracted new members ever since.
Postcard collecting draws people for numerous reasons. One is the vast selection: No matter your interest, there’s a postcard for it. For instance, Whiting seeks cards with bison imagery, while Uzel is often on the hunt for cards from Czechoslovakia (today’s Czech Republic and Slovakia), in honor of his heritage.
But postcards — and their preservation — are equally important as legacy documents, immortalizing people, events and places from a bygone era.
“When you see a building shown in a small town in Virginia, that may be the only picture of that building in existence,” Uzel says. “Postcards are a great way to hold history in your hands.”
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