I’ve been collecting Georgia postcards since I was a teenager and have several thousand now. Besides my hometown, my favorite area to collect is the coast, Jekyll Island especially. This is just a small sampling of my Jekyll Island collection. Besides interesting glimpses into an earlier time, the cards are important primary historical sources. All of these images are in the public domain.
Having spent countless vacations with my parents on Jekyll, it’s a part of my history. Hand-colored Albertypes are my favorite cards and are among the most sought-after of the Jekyll Island cards.
The island was a haven for millionaires and some of the most famous American families during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras, and the postcards produced for members of the Jekyll Island Club were quite special. You’ll note that on some of the cards, Jekyll is spelled “Jekyl”. I’m not sure why the distinction, since the island’s namesake, Sir Joseph Jekyll, spelled his name with two “l”s.
Many of the Albertypes focus on the natural and undeveloped aspects of the island, which luckily, can still be seen today.
Bicycling was all the rage in the early 1900s. The card pictured below shows one of several bicycle paths maintained for the enjoyment of club members.
The beach buildings in the card below were for use by members of the Jekyll Island Club. They look quite primitive by today’s standards.
Golf was first brought to Jekyll by members of the Jekyll Island Club and remains a popular pastime today.
Women were as involved in golf on Jekyll as men, as this view suggests.
Golf was probably more popular than sunbathing in the Club Era, at least with adults.
Mistletoe, as the house was known, is virtually unchanged today.
This multi-view card was published by Brunswick booksellers Fleming & Bryant. Along with H. O. Lederer, they were the primary publishers of early Jekyll Island cards. Featured are Solterra, which burned in 1914, Goodyear Cottage, and Mistletoe.
Like H. O. Lederer, Fleming & Bryant focused on the club grounds, as well as natural scenes like the one below.
On of my favorite cards is this moonlight view of the Jekyll River.
Several commercial publishers besides the Albertype Company were also distributing nice views of the island.
The Clubhouse features prominently in many of them. The view below, showing Solterra Cottage and its dovecote* on the left and Faith Chapel on the right, is a nice perspective, possibly made from the turret on the clubhouse. *-The dovecote survived the fire and is still standing.
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Brian, I envy you and your Jekyll Island postcards. My wife and I love Jekyll Island. The best time for us to visit is in October or November. It is cooler and there are fewer people on the Island. The charm of the place has gotten out to the public and in the summer, it is too crowded and hot for us. The place has lots of history, and the special charm of the moss-covered longleaf pines creates an ambiance that is restful and easy to enjoy. After I retired, a friend and I volunteered several years at the Jekyll Island Brid Banding Station on the south end of the island. That was a hard job but very educational and satisfying. Back in the 1920s, my mother used to visit from Hazlehurst. She reported that at the time they had to take a ferry over from Brunswick. The elegance of the place seemed to hold a spell over her. Today, it has the same impact on me. I love to watch the people fish, swim, bicycle, walk trails, etc. I like to walk the streets of the old Golden Age section and visualize what it must have been like back then. The people who visit Jekyll are most kind and helpful. They are not like you find at some places where everyone is rude. Once I accidentally left my cell phone on a bench at St. Andrews Sound. A stranger found it and looked up the last person called, my wife, and called her. He would not take a penny for his good deed. The phone was recovered and that saved me lots of money and time. Georgia has it all, beaches, mountains, flat plains, rolling hills, rivers, and lakes. We should all be thankful that we live in such a place.
I live near the coast and agree it’s far too hot in summer to visit the beaches. I only go in fall, winter, or spring. No interest in battling sharks and the extreme heat these days.
I love Jekyll! This post too
Love these postcards and love Jekyll Island! No place in the world like it! Thank you for sharing all this wonderful information with us!
My brother-in-law forwarded your post to me and thank you so much for sharing these wonderful postcards! What a great collection. I have loved going to Jekyll for @25 years and have been a resident for 3 years. On one of the historic trolley rides, I heard that everyone originally spelled it Jekyl until the Jekyll family in England sent them a painting of Sir Joseph Jekyll and they realized that there should be 2 l’s rather than 1.
Thank you, Brian, for sharing these wonderful postcards.
Great post and beautiful collection of postcards, thanks for sharing.
Your card collection of Jekyll scenes is priceless, thank you for sharing. I’ve had a long love affair with Jekyll. My first visit was after the island was acquired by the state but long before there was a causeway. A favorite memory.
What a treasure! Thanks for sharing them with us.
Love all the post cards