Greetings from Dayton! 3 things to know about the history of postcards

1. Pop it in the mail. The earliest origins of postcards, according to the Smithsonian Institution Archives, were "mailed cards." Simply put, cards sent through the mail that people attached postage to.

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2. Long-gone landmarks. Some of the early postcards from Dayton depict local landmarks no longer with us such as Steele High School, the wading pool at Bomberger Park and the NCR campus.

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3. Glossy images. Though World War II slowed production for a time, photograph-like cards gained in popularity and are what we would recognize today in a glossy image of the Dayton skyline framed with Dave Hall Plaza in the foreground.

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