Manchester (NH)

by Robert B. Perreault

Here, for the first time exclusively through the medium of vintage postcards, the people, streets, businesses, institutions, and recreational areas of bygone Manchester return to life. Manchester presents images of the world's largest producer of textiles, which attracted a patchwork of cultures from many lands. It tells where the first telephone conversation by a U.S. president occurred. It evokes the city that colorful individuals such as a nearly lifelong hermit, the smallest married couple in the world, a famous comic strip cartoonist, a best-selling novelist, the founders of cosmetics and fast-food empires, and a comedic superstar all called home.

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2005

Reviews

[EUGENE J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I attended a lecture on Postcards given by the author at the FISKE FREE LIBRARY in Claremont,NH, where I purchased the book from the author afterwards. The lecture was most informative and since, I had been collecting postcards on and off since childhood, I felt it was important to see what other thought about such. Postcards were most popular during and after the depression and relatively inexpensive to send when life was slower and more leisurely and not at the hectic pace of today's society and dwindling culture....However, one thing not brought out at the lecture was that the railroads and the postal system enabled this sending of postcards and other mails that not are slowly disappearing and dissolving due to electronic commnications, of which there are many advantages for global communications, though many of us prefer 'hardcopy'/'card-copy'. Shortly after the lecture, I came across a book that made a slight mention of postcards that was not brought up at the time: it was this: postcards were seen as a threat to actual literacy and to letter writing! We see the same concerns now over texting on cell phones as well...but we all know that while certain standards of literacy changed and also word spellings and meanings, since languages are basically 'sound' systems to which we apply meanings, that we still have degrees of literacy despite widespread ignorance. The lessons to be learned from both the book and the legacy of mills and manufacturing seems to be that with the growth of science and technology, or what is called, PROGRESS, there is also an increase is POVERTY. The indications are that each twenty five years of each century are such that the same trends and social/political problems exist and operate but only the names and participants have changed. As different systems change, we can expect many unforeseen consdquences.

[Helene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though this picture book may be of some historical value, if you are not interested in changes to Manchester in the last 40 to 50 years, or if you are not a past or current resident of Manchester. This book has little value.

Bob has collected an impressive number of pictures from his own collection and describes the time and place they represent. These are snapshots not photographs, so you are looking at scenes from the past and present, not images for their own sake. His descriptors offer insight to the city but as stated above, if you are not interested in the history or don't know the locations, this is not the book for you.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved seeing the old postcards that contained images from earlier years in Manchester. I found it absolutely heartbreaking how many beautiful buildings were lost to "urban revitalization" in the 1960's and 70's. An informative and fun read.

[Chelsea Cahill · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a postcard collector and a Manchester history lover, this book truly brought together some of my favorite things. It's fascinating to look at the postcards and compare what I'm seeing to how I know Manchester today to be.