Greetings from the Gulf Coast large-letter card, circa 1940

About this postcard

The card reads "Greetings from GULF COAST" in large block letters, each filled with a small coastal scene. A printed key identifies the views: a sea wall, sailing on the Gulf, sun bathing, palms at twilight, Gulf Coast aviators, playing in the surf, a pelican, azaleas in bloom, and a hooked game fish. The letters sit on a red panel framed by blue water crowded with sailing craft, with four-engine airliners overhead. Large-letter souvenir cards were a common format at resorts and roadside stands in the early 20th century, gathering a region's attractions into one bright image. The Gulf Coast scenes here mix leisure, wildlife, and local color, from the beach and sea wall to the pelican and azaleas.