Chester County Edition
December 2012
Vol. 9 No. 12
Memories in the Mail Local History Preserved in Vast Postcard Collection By Chelsea Shank Bob Sallade loves the thrill of the hunt. And as a deltiologist—that is, someone who collects postcards—he takes every opportunity that he can to hunt for postcards to add to his collection. Sallade, 63, has a collection of between 4,000 and 5,000 postcards. Collecting postcards is tied with coin collecting as the second most popular hobby, next to collecting stamps, said Sallade. He started his collection about six years ago. “I went to flea markets for other reasons and I picked up five old postcards … and that’s what started it,” Sallade said. As a native of Central Pennsylvania, he takes a personal interest in the history of the area and enjoys finding postcards featuring old buildings that are no longer around and others that are still standing. “My thrill is getting different scenes,” said Sallade. He has postcards of a former recreational facility called Playland, which had a roller skating rink and swimming pool where Sallade spent time as a teenager. There are others in his collection of an old judicial center, the Wrightsville Bridge, and hotels and motels that are no longer in operation. “That’s the interesting part—seeing what your town used to look like,” said Sallade. please see MEMORIES page 12 Postcard collector Bob Sallade preserves images of days gone by in dozens of binders stored at his home.
Inside:
Welcoming the New Year page 8
Vaccination Options for Seniors page 10