“Wish You Were Here” — Miami Beach Hotel Postcards

The Private Mailing Card Act was passed by Congress in 1898. For the first time, the law allowed private publishers (not just the government) to print postcards —  creating a lifelong connection between Miami and the cliche, “Wish your were here.”

Hotels encouraged guests to use the often free cards to share news of their visit. It was a cheap efficient way to advertise, especially if the hotels were relatively small. The picture postcard also permitted editorial license by creating a more pleasing ambiance than existed in reality — the hotels are often seen isolated from other hotels on “the strip,”  with more color and  vegetation than actually existed.

This MDPL collection of 340 hotel picture postcards dates from the 1920s through the 1960s. Some buildings no longer exist, others have been refurbished under new names. We have grouped images of the same hotel together so comparisons can be made of hotels postcards at different times. Unfortunately, we have no way of dating the images except by style or the cars depicted. The images are in alphabetical order by the name on the postcard. We will be adding images as they become available.

The Miami Beach Visual Memoirs Project

The Miami Beach Visual Memoirs Project is a video archive that records the history of the Beach through the memories and stories of the people who grew up here and have been a part of its development. These HD video recollections are available for online research, and have been combined and edited to create museum installations, a series of educational films and on-line access. Sharing the legacy of the City’s past expands our appreciation of the unique Beach community.

The Miami Beach Visual Memoirs is a joint project of the Miami Design Preservation League and Close-Up Productions, Inc. under a grant from the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority.