1900s Devil's Pool Bridge Wissahickon Pennsylvania Vintage Postcard
About This Vintage Postcard
The wild, romantic beauty of Fairmount Park is perfectly captured in this early 20th-century view of the Rustic Bridge at Devil's Pool. This color lithograph presents the intricate cedar-branch latticework of the bridge and its companion gazebo, perched dramatically atop the rugged Wissahickon schist. The bridge features a covered section with arched openings where a woman sits with a girl standing beside her, while a boy looks out at the water from the right wing. This picturesque setting is steeped in the folklore of the Lenni Lenape people, who believed the pool to be a spiritual battleground where the Good Spirit triumphed over the Evil Spirit, casting it into the deep, dark waters below.
Details
Era: Divided Back (c. 1906–1907)
City: Philadelphia (Wissahickon)
State: Pennsylvania
Country: United States of America
Topics: Devil’s Pool, Bridges, Wissahickon Valley Park, Wissahickon Creek, Fairmount Park, Bridges, Native American Folklore, Landscapes
Artist/Photographer: Not Noted
Condition: Circulated, Postmarked September 1, 1907
Orientation: Vertical (Portrait) Horizontal (Landscape)
Publisher: The American News Company
Additional Information
Based on visual markers, this postcard was published during the transition to the Divided Back Era. While the image series first appeared in 1906, the vertical line and "Communications" instructions on this specific card confirm it was printed after March 1, 1907, when the U.S. Post Office first permitted messages on the address side. Prior to WW1, The American News Company contracted with high-end German lithographers to produce their cards; many of their Philadelphia-area views from 1907–1908 were part of these German-printed runs. ANC was headquartered in New York City but had a massive distribution network that dominated the mid-Atlantic market, publishing an extensive series of local landmarks during this period. This specific card was mailed from Manayunk Station, Philadelphia, on September 1, 1907.
This vintage postcard would look great framed or make an excellent addition to any collection.
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