Russell J. Arnsberger Postcard Collection, c1900 – 1985 Finding Aid

Accession #: 2008.001

Biographical Note:

Russell James Arnsberger was born to Russell B. Arnsberger and his wife Claire McCann Arnsberger in Baltimore, Maryland in 1931. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1952 from the School of Engineering. He was a chemical engineer by trade. He married Carolyn Ussery in Baltimore on May 10, 1952. He was a chemical engineer by trade. They retired to Beaufort in the mid-1990s. Arnsberger was a Beaufort County Library volunteer during his residence. He would purchase postcards for the Library and donate them from time to time. Before the couple relocated to Florida in 2007, he donated his personal collection of Beaufort area postcards to the Library.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection of 359 postcards created between 1900 and 1985 were collected by Russell J. Arnsberger as a hobby. The postcards depict images of Beaufort County and have been organized by image subject. The images primarily depict prominent or historic streets, buildings, businesses, churches, houses, military base activities, the waterfront, and roadside attractions in the vicinity of the town of Beaufort, SC. Local postcard sponsors include are Charles G. Luther of Luther’s Pharmacy, Crescent Drug Company, W.R. Bristol, E.W. Bailey, A.M. Greenfield, Jr., Lucille Hasell Meredith Culp and Sam Kosiner of Palmetto Studios. National or regional postcard manufacturers represented in the collection include Albertype Company, C.T. American Art, Newvochrome A.N.C., PhotoArts, E.C. Kropp, Tichnor Brothers, Curt Teich, Dexter Press, Rotograph Company, and Henry H. Ahrens among others.

The Arnsberger collection has been digitized and has been hosted online through the Lowcountry Digital Library since May 2017.

Subject Headings

Beaufort (S.C.) — Churches

Saint Helena Island (S.C.) 

Church Buildings — South Carolina — Beaufort County

Landscapes — Beaufort, SC

Beaufort (S.C.) — Schools 

Waterfronts — Beaufort, SC

Motels — Beaufort, SC

Postcards — Beaufort, SC

Beaufort (S.C.) — Buildings, structures, etc.

Preservation Activities Performed:

The postcards arrived in excellent condition. All postcards have been placed in clear, plastic archival sleeves within the binders.

Collection Inventory:

Collection contains two 2.5” binders of 359 postcards with 3 postcards to each page. Items are arranged by subject matter based on front image.

Box Inventory

Series 1: Russell J. Arnsberger Postcard Collection, 1900-1985

Binder 1:

· Welcome to Beaufort – [“Greeting” cards]

· Streets

· Water Front

· Buildings

· Churches

Binder 2:

· Houses

· Miscellaneous

· Photos [Many are postcards made from Palmetto Studios images by Lucille Hasell Meredith Culp and Sam Kosiner, 1930s – 1950s]

· Roadside

Volume: Two 2.5″ binders (2.5″x 8.75″x 13.25″) containing 359 postcards

Processed: Ashley Sylva, 2016 ; Edited by Grace Morris Cordial, ML, SL, CA, 19 April 2023

Provenance: Donated by Russell J. Arnsberger between 1998 and 2007.

Citation Form: Russell J. Arnsberger Postcard Collection, Beaufort District Collection, Beaufort County Library, Beaufort, SC

Copyright: Contact the Beaufort District Collection for further information regarding copyright for specific images.

Note: The Beaufort District Collection (BDC) exists to acquire, preserve, maintain and make accessible a research collection of permanent value which records the history, culture, and environment of the South Carolina lowcountry wedged between the Combahee (pronounced “Kum’ bee”) and Savannah Rivers.  BDC staff and docents are stewards who collect, protect and share unique historical materials about local history, Gullah culture, natural southeastern coastal environment, family history and archaeology of the area now covered by Beaufort County, Hampton County and Jasper County in South Carolina.

Contact the Beaufort District Collection at 843-255-6468 or e-mail bdc@bcgov.net for additional information about local history and archives relating to the people, places, and themes of the history, culture, and natural environment of Beaufort County, Jasper County and Hampton County, South Carolina.

Current hours of operation are listed on the Beaufort County Library website.