Vintage Postcard 1940s RPPC Parangaricutiro Mexico Volcano Lava Church Horseback

An early American tourist writes home to Massachusetts via a Mexico City postmark, providing a vivid first-hand diary account of riding a horse over miles of treacherous, jagged lava fields to explore the ruins:

"Dear Nellie— This town near by the volcano was completely covered with rock and lava, only this church spire was left standing. Our horses took us over 2 miles of rock such as you see in the picture. I thought many times I was going over the horse's head as he slipped & stumbled over the loose rock. My guide gave me a piece of rock to keep my hands warm. We wore Indian Serapes to keep warm."

Scene: This is an exceptional, historically significant postcard documenting one of the most famous geological events of the 20th century: the birth and eruption of the Parícutin Volcano in Michoacán, Mexico. The only surviving structure was the town's stone church, Santuario del Señor de los Milagros. The lava flows entered the building but miraculously spared the towering altar and the main bell tower, which is shown here rising dramatically out of a jagged sea of volcanic rock.

Size: Standard 3.5 x 5.5”

Era: 1940s Era (Post-eruption early tourism window)

Type: Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)

Condition: Corner bumping, paper aging

This is an authentic vintage item. Use the zoom tool to inspect the photos for a detailed view of the condition.