The earliest postcards in the collection date from circa 1898 with the bulk of the materials dating from the 1920s to the 1940s.

The collection consists almost exclusively of imprinted (ink) postcards but also includes “real-photo” (gelatin silver) variety as well. The collection leans heavily towards images of tourist Washington but many images of “hometown” Washington are included as well (Businesses, Churches, Organizations, Restaurants, Schools – Private/Public, Stores, and Streets).