The Ohio State Reformatory frequently appeared on postcards, particularly in the early 20th century. While it is interesting to imagine how recipients felt about receiving a postcard depicting a prison, the Reformatory itself remains an architecturally striking landmark.
The messages on these postcards are often noteworthy. One example in our collection reads, “Where all my friends reside… ha ha.” A recent discovery was especially surprising: a panoramic view of the Reformatory that we did not realize was a postcard until the back of the image became visible.
Although several framed panoramic views already exist in the collection, this is the only one in which the postcard backing could be seen. At the time, postage cost one cent to mail a card, or two cents if a message was included—though it is unclear whether that additional fee also covered the address.
