The November 2019 postcard collection on display, at the Shenandoah County Historic Courthouse in Woodstock VA, is from the personal collection of Edgar Lamma III. Edgar has been collecting these postcards for about 20 years and is only one of a handful of individuals that he’s encountered that collect these postcards. Shenandoah Publishing House used to publish the Northern Virginia Daily newspaper.
SPH postcards were printed in varying shades of black, green and brown inks. There are only a few known postcards that contain any color. Several “logos” were used on the backside of postcards, some of which are on display. SPH postcards predominately cover the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia. Most cover historic landmarks many of which deal with civil war sites.
Most SPH postcards are known to be numbered from 1 through 331. There is one odd postcard numbered 400. There are 34 numbers for which a postcard has not yet been identified. Some postcards were printed without an identifying number in the lower left corner on the backside. Of the known SPH postcards there are: (a) 244 in Virginia; (b) 49 in West Virginia; (c) 4 in Maryland; (d) 2 in Pennsylvania; (e) 1 in North Carolina; and, (f) 1 in Washington DC.
One of Edgar’s favorite SPH postcards is directly above the copy block. Notice that he is sitting on two chairs.
There are several publications known to contain block images (with text) that appear on the frontside of SPH postcards. These include: (a) A History of Shenandoah County by John W. Wayland; (b) The prospectus for John W. Wayland’s book titled The History of Old Shenandoah; (c) Shenandoah County Geography Supplement; and, (d) How Fair the Way to Strasburg.
Edgar has indexed 79 publications, mostly hardbound books, that were printed by SPH. There are many, many more that Edgar has not yet documented.
• Foster a spirit of cooperation between existing organizations, writers, historians, genealogists, collectors, preservationists, and other members of the Shenandoah County community.
• Aid in the collection and creation of materials and publications about the history of Shenandoah County and ensure that they are preserved and made available to the community.
• Support efforts by citizens, organizations and government to preserve historic buildings and sites.
• Share history through programs and exhibits.
The Shenandoah County Historical Society was founded in 1985 and is established as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. It is completely volunteer driven. The Society is sustained by memberships, donations, grants and profits from book sales. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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Scandalous Son: The Elusive Search for Dolley Madison's Son, John Payne Todd
Philip Bigler
This book tackles the dark side of the American Dream, the saga of rags-to-riches in just three generations. It is the tragic,albeit all to common, story of a promising heir battling family and society's expectations --and losing it all. 2015. 352 pages.
Softcover
Item# 3010
Price: $21
Members: $20
The Great Valley Road of Virginia
Edited by Warren R. Hofstra & Karl Raitz
This book features original, previously unpublished chapters by leading scholars who delve into four significant periods of the road's development - from prehistory to colonial to American Revolution to present day. Known as the Valley Pike, or U.S. 11, it was part of the longest road in early American history from PA to GA. 2010. 309 pages.
Softcover
Item# 3002
Price: $29
Members: $28
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Virginia Fraktur: Penmanship as Folk Art • Klaus Wust • This book was originally published in the 1970s. The author was one of the major contributors to a better understanding of the cultural heritage and history of the German immigrants who settled in the Shenandoah Valley. Archivist Jean Martin has added updated notes on the Stoney Creek artist in this new edition. 2011. 35 pages. Softcover • Item #3006 • Price: $20 Members: $19
RFD Folk Art • Tyre & Jane Yancey • To most of us, the container designed to hold US Mail (both coming and going) is a rather utilitarian contraption. The Yanceys have traveled all over the Valley looking at silos and barns and found these fun mail boxes along the way. 2011. 94 pages. 8 1/2 x 11. Softcover • Item #3005 • Price: $20 Members: $19
A Guidebook to Virginia's Historical Markers • Scott David Arnold • Compiled. Guidebook includes text, photos, and updates of more than 1850 official state historical markers placed along Virginia's roadways since 1927. This is the last one published. Book is divided into six geographical-cultural regions and contains maps and three individual indexes to help. 2009. 384 pages. Third Edition. Softcover • Item #3007 • Price: $23 Members: $22
The Great Valley Road of Virginia • Edited by Warren R. Hofstra & Karl Raitz • This book features original, previously unpublished chapters by leading scholars who delve into four significant periods of the road's development - from prehistory to colonial to American Revolution to present day. Known as the Valley Pike, or U.S. 11, it was part of the longest road in early American history from PA to GA. 2010. 309 pages. Softcover • Item #3002 • Price: $29 Members: $28DOWNLOAD BOOK ORDER FORMS HERE
