The obverse (front) of a postcard is arguably its most important side. The image takes us back to an earlier time in Escanaba, and is almost always the first thing we look at when picking up a new card. Image type is also how we categorize cards into exhibits. In fact, the image on the front is what prompts someone to buy a postcard in the first place.

There is something to be said for what's written on the reverse, or back side, however. While a postcard's picture certainly speaks 1,000 words, often it's the ten or twenty words on the back that tell the true story. Collectors seek out 'mint' cards that are in pristine condition, but we find those cards to be almost a little boring. If the history inherent in a postcard is part of its value, then a card with only one side to view could be considered worth only half as much.

With this in mind, we're introducing Messages, a new feature that will focus on the message, in the hopes of learning a little more about Escanaba and the people who called it home.

Our first post brings up an interesting concept, that Escanaba isn't the city it used to be, that it's somehow diminished over time. Lately, we seem to hear more and more about Esky's decline, due largely to the prevalence of social media and the ease by which people can share their opinions. A hundred years ago, postcards were the social media of the day. And it seems that these types of opinions never go out of style.