Wilmington New York NY Dam Ausable River Adirondacks 1940s - RPPC Photo Postcard

USD 35.00

Condition: Not specified

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View Wilmington New York NY Dam Ausable River Adirondacks 1940s - RPPC Photo Postcard with current marketplace pricing, condition, product images and item details. Wilmington, NY is a small hamlet in Essex County in the Adirondack Mountains, situated at the base of Whiteface Mountain. The image captures a low dam and fish ladder on the West Branch of the Ausable River in the foreground, with the small Adirondack hamlet of Wilmington spread across the background. A 5.5x3.5" vintage RPPC photo postcard (NOT a modern reprint) from the estate of a vintage postcard collector. This was part of a huge collection of antique New England postcards. * We always automatically combine orders for shipping, so add as many postcards as you’d like to your order! Photo Overview A charming real photo postcard of Wilmington, New York, likely taken in the late 1930s to early 1940s. The image captures a low dam and fish ladder on the West Branch of the Ausable River in the foreground, with the small Adirondack hamlet of Wilmington spread across the background. A large multi-story resort hotel (likely the Hotel Wilmington or a similar lodging) dominates the mid-ground, flanked by smaller commercial and residential buildings, with forested Adirondack foothills rising behind the village. Several vintage automobiles are visible parked near the buildings, helping to date the image. The fish ladder and dam structure in the foreground are especially notable - the Ausable River was and remains a prized trout fishing destination in the Adirondacks. The "WILMINGTON N.Y." caption is handwritten directly on the photo emulsion in the upper right, a hallmark of real photo postcards of the era. Historical Notes Wilmington, NY is a small hamlet in Essex County in the Adirondack Mountains, situated at the base of Whiteface Mountain. After this photo was taken, Whiteface Mountain would go on to become one of the most famous ski resorts in the northeastern United States, and was selected as the alpine skiing venue for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games held at nearby Lake Placid. The growth of winter sports tourism transformed the broader region significantly in the decades following this image. The Ausable River running through the hamlet remains one of New York State's premier fly-fishing streams to this day. The resort hotel visible in the background represents the era when the Adirondacks were a major summer destination for New York City vacationers traveling by train and automobile. Print analysis This is an original Real Photo Postcard (RPPC). The image is a genuine silver gelatin photographic print on postcard stock, not a halftone or lithographic reproduction. The blank undivided-style back with simple "POST CARD" lettering and the photographic quality of the front are consistent with an RPPC produced in the late 1930s to early 1940s. This is a Type 1 original photographic postcard, produced close in time to when the photograph was taken. Condition All postcards we sell are in fair to excellent vintage condition. Category: Collectibles › Postcards & Supplies › Postcards › Topographical Postcards.