This genuine real photo postcard (RPPC) captures a lively small-town street scene in South Bristol, Maine, postmarked 1914. The view shows Main Street, with wooden commercial buildings, early signage, townspeople, and an ice delivery wagon—all beautifully preserved in sepia tones. At the center of the image is a wooden pedestrian bridge spanning a narrow tidal inlet or wharf channel. It likely served as a footbridge and local crossing connecting the town’s waterfront businesses. The bridge is flanked by stone retaining walls and wooden railings. Two women and a young girl stand near the far end, their blurred movements suggesting the long exposure typical of early photography. The women appear to be chatting, while a man seated nearby watches the scene. Behind them, an ice wagon labeled “M.W. Thompson’s ICE” is clearly visible, drawn by a horse. “M.W. Thompson” was probably a local merchant delivering ice—an essential trade in Maine’s coastal villages before home refrigeration. Several advertising signs enliven the storefronts: A “MOXIE” sign on the left advertises the famous New England soft drink; Another building features a large “Drugs – Ice Cream and Soda” sign projecting from a bay-windowed corner shop, suggesting it was a combined druggist and soda fountain; A painted wall sign for “Portland Liquid Paint” appears below the drug store window, marking a popular brand of early house paint; A hanging sign further up the hill advertises “Ice Cream – Confectionery – Cigars – Tobacco – Soft Drinks.” Together, these elements vividly convey the look and rhythm of a working coastal village in early-20th-century Maine—complete with townsfolk, wagons, and turn-of-the-century advertising. South Bristol, Maine, located on the Pemaquid Peninsula, was (and still is) a fishing and shipbuilding community. Around 1914, it was a thriving village centered around its harbor, with small stores, icehouses, and wharves supporting the local maritime economy. The wooden buildings seen here—typical New England architecture with clapboard siding and overhanging upper windows—reflect a prosperous, tight-knit coastal town just before World War I. The card is postmarked Providence, Rhode Island, in 1914, with a green 1¢ George Washington stamp from the Washington-Franklin series (used 1908–1922). The postcard is addressed to a woman at the Hotel Griswold, New London, Conn. The message reads: “Dear Sister, I am home once more. This is the village of S. Bristol. Lucy & Grace – are you planning to take some one home with you? If so, I don’t believe I care to go. Write and let me know right away.” The note, in a neat cursive hand, is informal and familiar—a quick communication between sisters during an era when postcards were the text messages of the day. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
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