Lot #741: Vintage 1909 St. Louis, Missiouri, USA Postcard - "Union Station, St. Louis, Missiouri" - USA 1¢ Green "Bejamin Franklin" Stamp

One Vintage 1909 St. Louis, Missouri USA Postcard, used, showing a view of the elabourate "Union Station, St. Louis, Missiouri". This coloured postcard has no publisher given, but has a divided back. Stamped with One Green USA One-Cent "Benjamin Franklin" Stamp. Postmarked February 1909 at St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Cryptic Ink message in youthful hand: "Dear Mary: No doubt you will be surprised to recieve this". Addressed to "Miss Mary McBride, Federal Stop, Hemlock, Alleghany, Pennsylvania." This postcard captures the St. Louis Union Station at the height of its glory as the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world. Opened in 1894, its "Grand Hall" and 280-foot clock tower were iconic symbols of the American "Gateway to the West." In 1909, this Union station was a masterpiece of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. At the time Mary McBride received this card, the station’s train shed covered nearly 11 acres. This view showcases the station's massive stone archways and limestone facade. The message "No doubt you will be surprised to receive this" implies a sudden, unplanned trip. In 1909, arriving at a major hub like St. Louis and quickly grabbing a card at a station kiosk was the equivalent of sending a "Check-in" notification today. Hemlock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, was a small community near the industrial heart of Pittsburgh. The "Federal Stop" designation in the address refers to a specific stop on the regional rail or trolley line—a common way to ensure mail reached rural or suburban recipients in the "pre-ZIP code" era. The lack of express Publisher imprint is not unusual: Much like your Washington D.C. Treasury card in Lot #740, this was likely a high-volume "souvenir stand" card. In a terminal as massive as Union Station, dozens of vendors would have sold nearly identical views printed by large-scale lithographers like Curt Teich of Chicago. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}