A Leiter Real Photo Postcard Sampler

With the publication of Lorain: The Real Postcards of Willis Leiter, many rare views of Lorain – previously seen only on postcards that popped up on Ebay – are now available to history buffs and the public alike in an handsome volume.

For me, it's downright exciting to see some of the photos – such as the one above from the book, of the Soldiers Monument and Fountain (that I wrote about here, among other places) that used to be in the park across from Lorain City Hall. Previously, I'd seen only a few different battered vintage postcards of the subject.

The book has a section largely devoted to the Lorain shipyards, with fascinating photos of ships being launched (or about to be launched, such as the Charles W. Kotcher below).

The steel mill is well represented in the book as well. The photo below – Big Crane at Skelp Mills – is one of many depicting the mill.

The book has many pages devoted to non-industrial subjects too, such as the former St. Joseph Hospital and the original Lorain City Hall.  

Common street scenes are in the book as well, such as this view of the house at Sixth and Reid (which I gave the 'Then and Now' treatment here).