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RPPC Wayland NY Victorian House G W Bombard Photo Postcard VTG 1908 UNPOSTED.Item Details
◆ Core Subject: Late-Victorian Frame House & Front Porch, Wayland, New York
◆ Publisher: G. W. Bombard (Wayland, N.Y.)
◆ Text on Card:
• Front: None
• Back: Handwritten message reads: "Lilian do you ever remember of seeing this place? It was taken late in the afternoon, the reason it is so dark & so shady. Anna Shumper is here for a couple of days, she has been visiting at Auburn & Colchester. Sorry we could not come Sunday. Julia." Left edge margin printed text reads: "G. W. Bombard, Wayland, N. Y."
◆ Visual Elements:
• Building: A detailed two-story frame house in the late-Victorian/Folk Victorian style. Features a prominent covered front porch decorated with elaborate spindle work, turned posts, and a decorative screen pattern on the foundation. An outbuilding/barn with a unique diamond-shaped gable window is partially visible to the left.
• Traffic: A well-dressed man is seated casually on the low porch stairs, and a woman in an Edwardian-era long white dress stands prominently along the front concrete walkway.
• Details: Dense, mature shade trees frames the front lawn. As the letter writer notes, the photograph captures a high-contrast interplay of deep late-afternoon shadows and streaming sunlight piercing through the canopy.
◆ Estimated Era: Divided Back Era / Edwardian (Circa 1907–1915; estimated specifically to around 1908 based on fashion and style)
◆ Postage Status: UNPOSTED (Hand-written correspondence on back but never went through the mail system; no stamp or cancellation Notes
◆ Overall Grading: Very Good Vintage Condition
◆ Surface & Image: Exceptional contrast for a real photo postcard. Silvering or matte fading is consistent with century-old photographic silver halides. The image exhibits clean clarity despite the heavy shadow framing noted by the original author.
◆ Edges & Corners: Minor corner rounding and light storage wear along the edges, normal for age. No heavy structural bending.
◆ Reverse Side: Natural, light cream-to-tan paper toning present evenly across the back. Handwritten ink remains clear, legible, and dark without excessive bleeding or fading.
◆ Defects: No pinholes, structural tears, or heavy vertical creases. Note that there is an apparent orange/amber tinting and localized discoloration across sections of the front surface. This color shift is an inherent chemical aging defect within the antique photographic emulsion layer (often related to historic silver-mirroring, chemical degradation, or residual processing chemicals reacting over the last century) rather than a dynamic lighting effect or a modern and Handling
◆ Packaging: Shipped securely in a protective plastic sleeve and a semi-rigid top loader for added protection inside a poly-bubble mailer.
◆ Service: Sent via USPS Ground Advantage.
