St Hendrick Hudson New York NY 1910s Rotograph Day Line Steamboat Postcard

Hendrick Hudson was part of the excursion steamboat tradition on the Hudson River, operated by the Hudson River Day Line which dominated passenger and leisure travel between New York City and upstate river ports from the late 19th century into the mid-20th century. Vessels in this fleet were side- and stern-wheeled and later screw-driven riverboats notable for passenger amenities and distinctive funnels; the depiction of two smokestacks identifies this riverboat type commonly used for day excursions and overnight runs along the river.

As a printed postcard and colorized postcard, this image belongs to the mass-produced souvenir trade that flourished from the 1880s through 1930s, when photographic views of steamers and waterfront scenes were distributed to advertise regional tourism and the Day Line’s scheduled services. The use of hand or photo-mechanical colorization on postcards helped publicize vessels like the Hendrick Hudson and the riverine routes that linked New York City with leisure destinations along the Hudson River.

Postcard Image

🖼️ Information on the Front of the Postcard

📝 In-Scene Text
Sendrick Hudson (visible on the side of the ship)

🏢 Publisher Information
Not visible

💬 Captions
ST. "HENDRICK HUDSON"

✍️ Messages
Not visible

📬 Information on the Back of the Postcard

📮 Address
Not visible

📅 Postmark & Stamp
Not visible
Postmark location unclear

✍️ Message
Not visible

🏛️ Publisher & Postal Note
**Publisher:** THE ROTOGRAPH Co. N.Y. CITY
**Production:** PRINTED IN GERMANY
**Product ID:** E 8710
**Postal Notes:**
* POST CARD
* THIS SPACE MAY BE USED FOR CORRESPONDENCE.
* FOR ADDRESS ONLY.
* PLACE STAMP HERE
* DOMESTIC ONE CENT
* FOREIGN TWO CENTS

📌 Context
This postcard features a "divided back," which means the back is split into two sections: one for the message and one for the address. This format was officially allowed by the U.S. Post Office Department starting March 1, 1907. The postage rates indicated ("DOMESTIC ONE CENT," "FOREIGN TWO CENTS") were standard for postcards in the United States from 1907 until late 1917, when domestic rates temporarily increased during World War I. This places the postcard's likely issuance date between 1907 and 1917.

The publisher, "The Rotograph Co. N.Y. City," was a significant American postcard publisher active in the early 20th century. They were well-known for importing high-quality chromolithographic postcards, often printed in Germany, which is confirmed by "PRINTED IN GERMANY" on the card. "E 8710" is likely a catalog or series number for this specific postcard design. The absence of an address, stamp, postmark, or message indicates this is an unused postcard.

Note: Postcard information is read by AI and may contain errors. Please review images for accuracy.

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