When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
RPPC Nome Alaska Fire March 1911 Firefighters Winter Real Photo Postcard
A striking original real photo postcard showing men fighting a building fire in Nome, Alaska, dated March 11, 1911. Firefighters and townspeople work in deep snow with ladders and hose lines as heavy smoke pours from the frame structure — a vivid documentary view of a subarctic winter fire.
- Real photo postcard (RPPC) of an actual fire scene in Nome, Alaska
- In-negative caption and photographer credit; handwritten date March 11, 1911
- Firefighters on the snow-covered roof with hose, ladders, and a large crowd
- Pencil note 'Nome, Alaska March 11, 1911' and a pen message on the reverse describing the bitter cold
- Divided-back era; unposted, written but not mailed
- Documentary Alaska disaster subject with identifiable place and date
The Nome Daily Nugget, digitized on Chronicling America (LCCN sn87062011) by the Alaska State Library, published daily 1911 issues and almost certainly covered this telephone-office fire — a buyer confirming newspaper coverage of this precise March 11, 1911 event would hold one of the most documentable Nome Territory disaster photographs known. Attributed to photographer A. Galvin, this card captures a defining moment of infrastructure vulnerability in Alaska's remote Gold Rush capital at -39°F.
Condition
Real photo postcard with in-negative caption and photographer credit; handwritten pencil location/date and pen message on reverse. Some surface scratches and light soiling, minor edge wear; image clear and strong.
Shipping & Packaging
How a card ships depends on its price, and the rate is shown on every listing before you buy.
- Card under $20 — $1.00 flat. Semi-rigid protective sleeve, sent tracked by Standard Envelope.
- $20 to $100 — postage calculated at checkout for your address. Rigid stay-flat mailer, USPS Ground Advantage, tracked, with $100 of carrier insurance included.
- Over $100 — postage calculated at checkout. Rigid mailer, UPS Ground, insured for the full purchase price. Orders over $250 require a signature on delivery.
Buying more than one? They travel together in a single well-protected package, and shipping is charged per card at the rate shown on each listing. On a larger order we will often upgrade the whole lot into one tracked stay-flat package at our own cost — you are never charged more than the rates above.
About Scanthology
Scanthology specializes in carefully digitized vintage paper. Every card is scanned at high resolution, stored flat, and shipped protected. Questions welcome -- thanks for looking!