“Phoenix, Arizona, ‘In the Valley of the Sun’” Foldout Postcard

Bright orange letters and colorful illustrations of a desert landscape help to capture and share the publisher's perception of Phoenix, Arizona in the 1950s. While one side of the postcard depicts the “Valley of the Sun,” the other side lists 7 of Phoenix's churches, accompanied by a small illustration of them. The detailed imagery on the outside, and within the postcard, is accredited to halftone printing. The postcard opens like a folder, and contains 9 postcards that feature imagery on the fronts and backs. Different locations within Phoenix are listed inside the folder, alongside their corresponding print. All of the postcards are printed on one long strip of paper, folded to resemble an accordion and fit within the folder portion of the postcard. The inside of the folder describes various facts about Phoenix, Arizona, such as the population, places of worship, vegetation, climate, and attractions. The previous owner of the postcard documented their visit to the location in 1952 and 1953. 

The folder was published by Curt Teich & Co. sometime in the 1940s to 50s. The postcard refers to Phoenix as “in the Valley of the Sun,” an advertising slogan produced in the 1930s in order to increase tourism. The significance of the postcard can be deciphered through its detailed imagery and thorough information about Phoenix, pushing America to travel and experience “one of the world's greatest irrigation projects.” Postcards such as this one were created as a way to advertise the location featured through the personal connection of the sender and the receiver, increasing the opportunity to promote business effectively. Not only did the postcard remind the receiver that the sender was thinking of them, but it was also personal recommendation to visit the location advertised on the card.