Today's Hours
The Architecture Library at The City College of New York is thrilled to announce the opening of Postcards from an Architect: Capturing Old New York, an exhibition showcasing historical postcards of New York City from the collection of the late Frank Wayde Hall.
An architect, educator, and avid traveler, Hall amassed an extraordinary collection of more than 13,000 postcards documenting architecture and urban life around the world. As a teacher, he incorporated these postcards into his lessons to visually illustrate the evolution of architectural styles and the built environment. Hall’s passion for documenting architectural history shines through these images, which preserve ephemeral views of buildings, streetscapes, and skylines that might otherwise have vanished from record.
Postcards from an Architect is an online exhibit and will be on view in-person at the CCNY Architecture Library through the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. The exhibit features postcards that document New York City’s evolving architectural landscape in the early nineteenth century. Produced by publishers from all over the world, the images capture iconic and ephemeral views of the city, while the handwritten messages offer glimpses into the lives of those who passed through it.
The full New York collection may be explored on JSTOR as well, offering multiple ways to engage with the postcards wherever you are. We invite you to explore this remarkable glimpse into New York’s architectural heritage, whether you visit us in person or join us virtually.
Postcards from an Architect was curated by Nilda Sanchez-Rodriguez (Associate Professor and Chief Architecture Librarian), with co-curation by Jessy Perez-Camilo, Riley Mang, and Taida Sainvil.
Thanks to the efforts of Nurjahan Akter, Sarah Aponte, Sophia Allwood, Qazi Arfeen, Matthew Balik, Lisa Bova, Kendra Carela, Alex Crowley, Gloria Duarte, Amanda Giglio, Olivia Fraser, Ivelisse Garcia, McKenzie Gray, Sylvie Koenigsberg, Nowseen Maisha, Erin Montanez, Jhensen Ortiz, Ysamar Peña, Alexandra Pucciarelli, Laurel Robb, Rafael Rodriguez, and Lily Susman.
Graphic Design for the website and promotional materials was provided by Taylor Adkins.
This project was made possible by PSC-CUNY Research Awards, Cycle 52 and Cycle 55, with additional assistance from the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute Archive.