Vintage Postcard 1948 RPPC Flood Desctruction Lost Town Vanport Oregon Old Cars
Original price
$22.00
-
Original price
$22.00
Original price
$22.00
$22.00
-
$22.00
Current price
$22.00
Availability:
Only 1 left!
A stark, historical aerial view documenting the catastrophic Vanport Flood of 1948 in Oregon. It showcases the rapid inundation of housing units floating off their foundations, a prominent water tower standing amidst the lake-like disaster zone, and emergency/spectator vehicles lined up along the road on the bottom right.
Social History: Vanport, Oregon, was originally built in 1942 to house World War II shipyard workers, and rapidly became the second-largest city in the state, with a significant African American population. On Memorial Day in 1948, a railroad berm serving as a dike collapsed, wiping the entire city off the map in under two hours. The city was never rebuilt, making any primary photographic documentation of the disaster highly significant to Pacific Northwest history.
Size: Standard 3.5 x 5”
Era: Late 1940s Post-WWII Era (specifically matching the historic event date of May 30, 1948). Features an "EKC" stamp box, which was utilized by Eastman Kodak from 1939 to 1950.
Type: Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)
Photographer: Captured by the prominent local Portland documentary photographer Clarence Christian. The lower right corner bears his distinctive signature stamp: "christian V-11"
Condition: Minor corner bending, paper aging, paper skinning
This is an authentic vintage item. Use the zoom tool to inspect the photos for a detailed view of the condition.