Maine Memory Network

Contributed by Boston Public Library

Description

This postcard shows State Street in Portland looking toward Longfellow Square. In the 19th century, State Street was considered to be one of the city’s most fashionable streets and has a number of churches on the stretch from Casco Bay to Longfellow Square, as shown on the righthand side of the image. The double room of elms along the sidewalks were planted in 1800 but lost to disease in the 1960s.

At the end of the street can be seen the statue of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that sits in Longfellow Square. The bronze statue was commissioned to honor Portland native Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and created in Rome by Portland-born sculptor Franklin Simmons. The granite base was designed by Francis Fassett. The statue was dedicated on September 29, 1888.

The caption reads, "State Street looking towards Longfellow Square, Portland, Me."

The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938.

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About This Item

• Title: State Street, Portland, ca. 1938
• Creator: Tichnor Bros., Inc.
• Creation Date: circa 1938
• Subject Date: circa 1938
• Location: Portland, Cumberland County, ME
• Media: Linen texture postcard
• Dimensions: 9 cm x 14 cm
• Collection: The Tichnor Brothers Collection
• Object Type: Text and Image

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Cross Reference Searches

Standardized Subject Headings

• Longfellow Square (Portland, Me.)
• Postcards
• State Street (Portland, Me.)
• Streets--Maine--Portland

People

• Fassett, Francis
• Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
• Simmons, Franklin

Other Keywords

• Churches
• Cities & towns
• Elm trees
• Postcards
• Postcards--Maine
• Sidewalks
• Statues
• Streets

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For more information about this item, contact:

Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 859-2039
Website

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