Susan Arreola Postcards Volume 06: Phoenix Motel and Trailer Parks

Offering a unique window into the history and landscape of Phoenix, and in some ways how visitors and Phoenicians talked with each other, the Susan Arreola Postcard Collection at Phoenix Public Library’s Arizona Room at Burton Barr Central Library provides a rare glimpse into what “social media” was in a bygone era. A City of Phoenix Planner for a decade, and avid postcard collector, Susan Arreola spent decades collecting postcards depicting early life in Phoenix from the years surrounding Arizona statehood into the 1960s. In 2019, Susan donated a collection of approximately 2,500 vintage postcards to Phoenix Public Library’s Arizona Room where library visitors can see for themselves a part of the history and culture of greater Phoenix, Arizona and the Southwest.

The “Van Buren Street” volume of the Susan Arreola Postcard Collection illustrates the growth of Phoenix through the lens of tourism and commercial development and offers viewers an interesting way to experience what was once one of Phoenix’s most iconic roads. A monkey on a restaurant table, “air conditioned by refrigeration” room advertisements, and cocktail lounges are some treasures users will find, and hopefully, celebrate.