Part I: Hospital postcards: the New Jersey view

Area of Science:

• Medical History
• Archival Science
• New Jersey Studies

Background:

• This article presents a pictorial history of New Jersey hospitals.
• The content is derived from a unique postcard collection housed at the UMDNJ-University Libraries Special Collections Department.
• The historical overview is presented in two parts.

Observation:

• The postcard collection offers a visual record of healthcare facilities in New Jersey.
• Hospitals featured span various eras and architectural styles, reflecting changes in healthcare infrastructure.
• Postcards serve as primary source material for understanding the evolution of hospitals.

Findings:

• The article organizes the pictorial history based on four distinct types of New Jersey hospital postcards.
• Each category highlights specific aspects of hospital representation and historical context.
• The visual documentation provides insights into the public perception and architectural development of hospitals.

Implications:

• This work contributes to the understanding of medical history and public health in New Jersey.
• The categorization of postcards offers a novel approach to archival research in healthcare.
• Preserving and studying such collections aids in contextualizing the history of medicine and community health services.