The view shows the Gay Head Lighthouse on its grassy headland above the banded clay cliffs at Gay Head, now Aquinnah, on Martha's Vineyard. A few small outbuildings and tiny figures are scattered along the bluff. The brick tower, with its lantern gallery, dates to 1856 and stands on Wampanoag land; it is the third light at this site.
The printed caption pairs Gay Head with Cottage City, the name Oak Bluffs used until 1907, a reminder that the island's summer trade linked the two places.
White border along the bottom carrying the printed caption; card number 2001 printed at lower right; light staining at lower right corner; slightly grainy lithograph screen.
No postmark. Undivided back ("This side is for the address.") with "Post Card." heading and stamp box reading "Place the Stamp Here / One Cent for United States, and Island Possessions, Cuba, Canada and Mexico. / Two Cents For Foreign." — pre-1907 style. Imprint "Made in Germany. A. C. Bosselman & Co., New York." White border on front; tinted halftone/color litho texture. Light soiling and foxing on back.
Cite this card
Gay Head Lighthouse above clay cliffs, Gay Head, MA, circa 1901, postcard, c. 1901. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/gay-head-lighthouse-above-clay-cliffs-gay-head-ma-circa-1901. Accessed November 2, 2026.
