Long before inboxes and Instagram, Asheville sold itself in glossy four-by-sixes. Greetings From Asheville: Tourism and Transformation in the Postcard Age, running through May 30 at the Asheville Art Museum, explores the golden era of the picture postcard — when a single image could capture a city’s ethos and sell it to the world. “Picture postcards combined personal correspondence, souvenir, and advertising in a package that was affordable for both local attractions to create and the average individual to purchase,” the museum shares in a press statement. The exhibition features views of downtown’s Art Deco skyline, the grandeur of the Biltmore Estate, and the winsome charm of winding mountain roads. Produced by major players like the Asheville Postcard Company and photographers like George Masa and Ewart Ball, these cards embody the city’s enduring knack for self-promotion.
Greetings From Asheville: Tourism and Transformation in the Postcard Age: Through May 30
Blossman Companies Education Gallery
Asheville Art Museum / 2 South Pack Square, Asheville / ashevilleart.org