c1910 Chinatown New York Chinese Street Scene Success No 1122 Postcard For Sale

Antique divided-back postcard featuring an early color view titled “In Chinatown, New York.”

The scene shows a large group of Chinese men gathered along a narrow Chinatown street lined with brick buildings, storefronts, signs, awnings and overhead utility lines. Many of the men wear traditional long robes, jackets and hats. The image is a printed and colorized street scene dating from the early twentieth century.

The postcard was published in New York by the Success Postal Card Company and is identified as card number 1122. Postcards produced by this publisher in the same divided-back format are generally associated with the 1907–1915 period, placing this example at approximately 1910.

The reverse has a lengthy handwritten pencil message beginning “New York, Jan. 24th,” but no complete address, postage stamp or postal cancellation. The writer thanks “Miss Davis” for a previous letter and discusses acquaintances and personal news. Because the card was not addressed or mailed, the exact year of the message is unknown.

This is an interesting piece of early New York City and Chinese-American visual history, reflecting the way Manhattan’s Chinatown was presented to visitors and postcard buyers during the early twentieth century.

ITEM SPECIFICS

• Type: Printed color postcard
• Era: Divided Back Era
• Approximate date: Circa 1907–1915
• Subject: Chinatown street scene
• Location: Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City
• Printed caption: “In Chinatown, New York”
• Scene: Chinese men gathered on a narrow urban street
• Publisher: Success Postal Card Company
• Publisher location: New York
• Card number: 1122
• Postage condition: Unposted
• Stamp: None
• Postmark: None
• Writing: Lengthy handwritten pencil message
• Message date: January 24; year not stated
• Addressee mentioned: Miss Davis
• Country: United States
• State: New York
• City: New York City
• Borough: Manhattan
• Theme: Chinatown, Chinese-American history, immigration, ethnic neighborhoods and street scenes
• Original/Reproduction: Original antique New York postcard, Manhattan Chinatown, New York City street scene, Chinese American history, antique Chinese postcard, Chinese men traditional clothing, Success Postal Card Company, Success postcard No 1122, circa 1910 postcard, divided back postcard, early New York City, Lower Manhattan history, ethnic neighborhood postcard, immigration history, colorized street view, unposted postcard and vintage NYC ephemera
  
  

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