New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

The “golden age” of postcards was from 1908 to 1915, which also coincided with large-scale mining operations in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Postcards illustrated many aspects of mining: the mines, mills, miners, towns, and railroads. This talk will describe stories of events that occurred during this era, such as the mine owner who consulted a psychic for advice, and dangers of riding the tram while drunk. The author has traveled to many of the areas shown in the postcards and will present current photos that show what the areas look like now. Treasures still abound in this part of Colorado when it comes to mineral collecting, photography, hiking, jeeping, and discovering the remnants of mining.

This talk will also discuss where to obtain postcards and how to start your own collection. Different types of postcards will be shown: postcards printed in Germany, locally published postcards, and real-photo postcards. A few stereo views will also be included.