South Boston

During the early part of the 20th century, technological advances in the printing industry spawned a new fad: postcard collecting. Publishers dispatched photographers to communities throughout the country and produced iconic images that formed a portrait of the nation. Travelers used postcards to communicate with friends and family and to maintain a visual record of their itineraries. Although the fad was short lived, thousands of postcards and, in some cases, entire collections survive to this day. South Boston is an Irish American enclave that has probably undergone fewer physical and social changes than any other section of the city.