FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 2007

CONTACT: David Cass / Director of Development

(802) 447-1571 Fax (802) 442-8305

info@benningtonmuseum.org

Museum presents program on Bennington postcard views

The Bennington Historical Society will present “Bennington and the History of Postcards” at the Bennington Museum at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, September 20th. This illustrated talk by the museum’s Executive Director, Stephen Perkins, is open to the public free of charge. Light refreshments will be served.

Perkins will give an overview of the technical and social history of postcards and then focus on postcard views of Bennington and the surrounding area. He will show many examples from the museum’s collection and also from other area collections.

The program will include many interesting nuggets of information. For instance, did you know that the first U.S. postcard was made to advertise the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893? That it was once the fashion for people to have their own photographs printed as postcards? Or that postcards reached a peak of popularity in 1908, when over 677 million were printed?

Come learn about Bennington’s role in this fascinating history of popular communication and see many postcard views of Bennington in “the Good Old Days”.

The Bennington Museum is located at 75 Main St. (Route 9) one mile west of the intersection of Routes 7 and 9 in downtown Bennington, Vermont. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Wednesdays. For more information, visit the website at www.benningtonmuseum.org or call 802-447-1571.