Special to the Times-Review

FORT WORTH — Over one million antique photos, vintage postcards and paper collectibles provide a window to the past at the 5th Annual Fort Worth Postcard and Paper Show at the end of May. Many rare images dating back to the turn of the century and beyond reveal interesting historical information and are treasures for decorators and collectors alike. The unique event boasts some of the finest collections from pretty Victorian artisan cards to rough old west cowboys.

Several postcards featuring Cleburne historical sites will also be on display, including the Post Office, First Baptist Church and First Presbyterian Church.

The show has an impressive group of dealers and collectors including a man who has the largest collection of Dallas postcards ever assembled outside a museum, numbering in the tens of thousands. A Fort Worth woman, renowned in the home decorating trade for her extensive collection of beautiful Victorian paper and cards, will be exhibiting beautiful calendars, paper dolls and artisan cards with patriotic themes and scenes like adorable children pulling wagons and ladies in pretty gowns. Another dealer will be selling items from his Texas postcard and paper collection that covers subjects such as oil industry, cattle, 101 Ranch, cowboys, rodeo and early aviation which has been exhibited in museums.

“There will be great cards from Fort Worth, across Texas, all 49 other states, and around the world,” said Dan Monsanto, of DM Promotions, show organizer. “Whether you are a collector, are doing genealogy research, or want unique images for decorating or scrapbooking, it’s a lot of fun hunting for treasures.” The wide variety of topicals includes subjects like lighthouses, town views, sports, stadiums, humor, risqué, transportation, animals, holiday and patriotic themes such as Civil War and military die cuts and 4th of July and Memorial Day postcards.

In terms of paper collectibles, the show offers everything from matchbooks and sheet music to vintage advertising and antique photographs. Quite a bit of local history is available such as old Stockyards and State Fair memorabilia. There will be hand-tinted cards, early postal history, documents, letterhead, old Valentines and Easter cards, Santa Claus die cuts, hold-to-light cards, pages from turn-of-the-century flower catalogs, prints, antique photos, brochures, early writing, historical documents, vintage advertising, maps, prints, celebrity pictures and autographs. Vintage images can be enlarged and framed for home décor and small images are suitable for embellishing scrapbooks.

The show is also an ideal place to come and learn more about the postcards or paper items you may already have as the dealers possess decades of experience in their respective specialties. You are welcome to bring paper items you have inherited, purchased from estate sales or antique shops to obtain appraisals or even sell or trade them. If you simply want to keep what you own but need to store it properly to preserve its value, there will be archival supplies available for purchase to help you protect your treasures.

The 5th Annual Fort Worth Postcard & Paper Show is being held at the Lockheed-Martin Recreation Center, 3400 Bryant Irvin Road in Fort Worth. Doors are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The center has a 5000+ square foot exhibit space with about 20 dealers from across Texas and the U.S. Adult admission is $3 for a two-day pass and children are free with a paid adult. For information, call 281-565-0771 or visit www.ftworthshow.com.