Want to plan your next excursion but don’t know where to go? Take some ideas from notable western author Zane Grey!
He wrote 89 books and 56 were Westerns. If you love the West you’ve probably read a Zane Grey book or two. Our Dickinson Research Center has a huge archive of photos, magazines, papers and even these Zane Grey postcards. Take some travel notes.
Tampico, Mexico
Zane Grey and his wife, Lina Elise “Dolly” Grey, traveled to Tampico, Mexico in 1907. Located on the coast of the gulf of Mexico, this port city is also bordered by the Panuco River. During the early 20th century, the city was the chief oil-exporting port of the Americas and the second busiest port in the world!
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Zane and Dolly visited the capital city of the Yucatan state in Mexico. From the note on the postcard, we can see that the author was impressed by the Mayan ruins. Merida is also home to the oldest cathedral in the continental Americas, the Catedral de San Ildefonso, which was completed in 1598.
Nassau, The Bahamas
Zane and Dolly suffered quite a bit of seasickness, according to the note on this postcard, but apparently, it was worth it for the “balmy dreamy breezes” of this capital city!
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba. It’s also the birthplace of Bacardi! We wonder if Zane and Dolly drank any mojitos on their trip?
Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania
But no matter how far you travel, there’s no place like home! This postcard includes handwritten notations that show Grey’s home in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania. According to Dolly, Grey’s wife, “This picture shows the location but not the beauty of the place.”
About The Dickinson Research Center (DRC)
The Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center (DRC) houses the Museum’s archival and photographic collections, institutional records and library. It shares the Museum’s mission to preserve and interpret the evolving history and cultures of the American West through exhibitions, education, research, and publications.
The collections span centuries and include over 42,000 books; 700,000 photographs; dime novels, manuscripts, maps, film posters, movies and more. Not limited to the old West, they also cover the modern authors, directors and artists inspired by it. Main subject areas include general western history, rodeo history, Native American history, western popular culture, western art and ranching.
Research
The Dickinson Research Center is open to the public by appointment from 10:00AM to 4:00PM, Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, contact us at askarchives@nationalcowboymuseum.org
