Vintage Neon Signs Postcards

Featuring some of the vintage neon motel signs in Medicine Hat, Alberta, these 5 original postcards capture a piece of historic novelty. Check out these new prints and numerous other original images in my postcard shop here.

Fifth Avenue Church Postcards

These 5 new custom postcards from my Around the Hat photo series feature the stunning interior details of Fifth Avenue church. Check out these new prints and numerous other original images in my postcard shop here.

Vintage Esplanade Street Postcard

Of all the vintage Medicine Hat postcards I've come across in my search, this one seemed special for two reasons. The first was that I'd never seen it before - not in my archive searches or online. The second thing was that it featured houses, not a specific landmark, along Esplanade Street (now 1st street) very close to where the current Arts & Heritage Centre now stands.

Today this portion of 1st Street is pretty much all civic buildings and offices, with the exception of the Ewart-Duggan House which is just a few doors down from where this postcard was photographed. The only real giveaway to the location in this picture is St. John's church peaking through in the background. I returned to the corner to try and get a modern image of the location today.

The back of the postcard is dated August 15, 1917 and is addressed to someone in Calgary. The fact that it isn't postmarked tells me that it was sent with someone who was making the trip there. It's a pretty fascinating find given how much has changed on that corner in nearly a century. 

Medalta Potteries Postcards

More custom postcards from my Around the Hat series have been added to my shop, this time featuring 5 new postcards of Medalta Potteries. This iconic location in Medicine Hat, Alberta has become the centre of the historic clay district, and these cards feature some of my first shots of the location. See more about these prints here.

Monarch Theatre Postcards

As part of my latest series of original postcards, I'm proud to introduce this 5 card set featuring shots from inside of the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I think this set captures a lot of the charm of this 100 year old movie theatre, with shots spanning all of the interior locations from the projection room to the basement. See more of this set in my postcard shop.

Medicine Hat Quote Postcards

In the interest of expanding my original Around the Hat series postcards, I decided to do something a bit different for this new batch. I played around with some of my more general Medicine Hat images, from a train track to a gas well wheel to a kiln, and created numerous filters for them. I emphasized the textures in the images, and then added additional cracks, a faint burlap pattern, and scuff marks. The idea was that I wanted to play up the wild west kitsch value of the city's history.

All of this was to provide a backdrop for a few notable points that I felt best defined Medicine Hat, Alberta. I wanted to combine the variety of my photo series with the historical branding to make Medicine Hat seem more unique. Here's what I came up with, and don't forget to check out these new cards in my shop.

All Hell for a Basement - this is a quote made famous by author Rudyard Kipling, who made a big impression when he visited the community in the early 1900s. The quote was in reference to the vast natural gas wells underneath the city.

The Natural Gas City of the West - or simply the Gas City. This nickname has been around almost since the city's inception and has appeared on countless souvenirs, documents, and signs. It was our cheap natural gas that became our claim to fame for many early industries that set up here.

Established Eighteen Eighty Three - clearly in reference to Medicine Hat's inception, which occurred in 1883 with the arrival of the railroad.

In the Footprints of the Medicine Man - this phrase is in reference to the legends that surround how the city got its name, often in reference to the Medicine Man and his 'Saamis' or headdress being lost in the river.

Where the Gas Lamps Never Dim - this refers to the early days of Medicine Hat when our street lamps were fueled by natural gas lines that went directly into the wells. The natural gas was so plentiful and cheap here that it was more affordable to leave them constantly burning day and night than to hire someone to light them in the evening.

World's Largest - today Medicine Hat's claim to fame for anyone passing through along the Trans Canada has to be our Teepee. At over 20 stories high it's the World's Largest.

Find these cards and more in my Around the Hat postcard shop HERE.

Vintage Post Office Postcard

Medicine Hat's original post office was a beautiful sandstone building on the prominent corner of 6th avenue and 2nd street. It was across the street from the original city hall, but just like that building, it was torn down decades ago. Arguably, the original post office is one of the city's greatest lost treasures in that if it was still around today you can bet it would be an icon of the downtown core.

I came across this vintage postcard of the original post office that was mailed on October 23, 1943. It was sent from a father to his daughter in Vancouver. His brief message was simply to check in and let his daughter, Ruth Mary know that he had a parcel on the way for her. I thought the handwriting on this card was especially nice, and the clean postal markings and stamp seem to compliment the image of the post office. A great piece of local history for certain.

Postcard in the same location today.

The Bank of Montreal where the Post Office was.

Post Office demolition ca. 1961