Part of the ubiquitous and ever-expanding Arcadia Postcard History Series, Garrison is a recently published history of Garrison, New York, authored by George Carroll Whipple III. It uses a large selection of vintage postcards to tell the story of the picturesque Putnam County hamlet. The postcards used are drawn primarily from two private collections – the author’s own and one belonging to Putnam County historian Mark Forlow.
Garrison’s most notable features are all included: grand estates – including Boscobel, life on the Hudson River, views of the Highlands, and the many religious institutions that were attracted by Garrison’s secluded location.
As a history centered around postcards, this book reflects the strengths and limitations of telling the story of a place in this fashion. Its greatest strength lies in the power of an image to connect the viewer to a time and place. That is acknowledged in the introduction where Lisa Aurello writes that it “preserv[es] a convergence of person, place and time as if in amber.”
In other words, it invites us to reflect on both the image and why a person chose to send a postcard with that image. What did it say about them, and what did it say about how they saw Garrison. It is undoubtedly an effective and entertaining way to tell a history.
However, this approach does have certain limitations. Most notably, it limits the author to the time period when there was both the technology to produce postcards and sufficient demand for a wide range of postcards – even for so small a place as Garrison.
As such, the book’s main focus is restricted to the period from the late 19th Century through the first half of the 20th Century. The history told is also limited to the images that were deemed appropriate for postcards. So, picturesque views and grand buildings predominate. There are far fewer postcards that include people. Although those that do are often delightfully idiosyncratic and are some of the standouts in the collection.
While the postcards limit the story, the book’s Forward and Introduction provide a neat and concise history of the earlier periods in Garrison. It includes the area’s time as hunting grounds of the local Wappinger people, Garrison’s colonial era, and its role in the Revolutionary War. For a small hamlet in a tiny county, Garrison has a rich history. Those with an any level of interest in it will find plenty to enjoy in this book.
Trevor Noble holds a master’s degree in public history from SUNY Empire State University. He is the creator of the Peekskill History Smartphone App and its associated Instagram account: @peekskill_history.
