Vintage Postcard Lot Main Auto Tourism Bridge Maritime Anchor Baxter Blvd Rte 1

These three postcards highlight the early automotive tourism, engineering, and coastal scenic routes of Portland, Maine: 

• Maine Publicity Bureau Building: Captures the historic headquarters of the organization that branded Maine as "The Vacationland". This visitor center welcomed early road-trip motorists crossing the state border, providing them with travel maps and cabin guides. The massive ship anchor on the front lawn served as a landmark of Maine's maritime identity.

• Baxter Boulevard (U.S. Route 1): Showcases the sweeping curves of the historic scenic parkway wrapping around Back Cove. It served as the original coastal U.S. Route 1 highway corridor and features a living World War I memorial of over 100 Linden trees lining the drive.

• The Million Dollar Bridge: Documents the iconic drawbridge that connected Portland and South Portland over the Fore River. Opened in 1916, this postcard preserves the engineering marvel before its late-1990s replacement, capturing an era when coastal shipping and automotive traffic shared the waterway.