In celebration of Independence Day and America's 250th anniversary, we're pleased to share three patriotic treasures from the Monrovia Historical Museum's postcard archives. We wish you and your family a safe, joyful, and Happy Fourth of July!

The first in this series reminds us that the ideals of freedom, patriotism, and community have united generations of Americans. A colorful, vintage postcard, circa 1910–1912 during America's "Golden Age of Postcards," captures the festive spirit of the era with Uncle Sam, a majestic bald eagle, fireworks, and the familiar phrase, "The Ever Glorious Fourth of July."

Long before greeting cards and social media, postcards like these were exchanged to send holiday wishes to family and friends, offering a glimpse into how Americans celebrated our nation's birthday more than a century ago. An interesting second chapter in its history indicates that it was not used and mailed until June 28, 1948, over three decades later. It bears a one-cent stamp and a message from William Manson of Ray's Western Books and Magazines, located at 331 South Hill Street in Los Angeles, to an apparent stamp collector in Arcadia--the note is an invitation to visit the bookstore to share collectible stamps. This postcard's journey—from a patriotic holiday greeting to a piece of correspondence connecting collectors nearly four decades later—adds another fascinating chapter to its story.

​August 2024

​​In 2015, the California State Office of Historic Preservation approached Ili Lobaco*, associate planner for the City of Monrovia at the time, to contribute an article in their newsletter about historic preservation in selected cities. Monrovia was among the nine cities featured. As part of her role in the city planning office, Ili Lobaco had been called upon to present at a few workshops with the state office, and it was was through her network of friends there that they became well aware of the success of local preservation efforts being made in Monrovia. This article was a result of that. Ili wrote it in October 2015, two months before she retired from the city. 

The article, "Monrovia: Preserving Big in a Small City" was published in 2016 in ‘Preservation Matters,’ a newsletter of the California Office of Historic Preservation, Vol. 9, Issue 1. "It was an honor to be included with the other eight California cities, and it also gave Monrovia great visibility with their historic preservation program." Here's the link to the full 2016 document posted in the city's website.  

* Ms. Ili Lobaco, the author of this document, retired from the City Planning Office of the City of Monrovia in 2015, after 15 years of service. Thereafter, she served on the board of the Monrovia Historical Museum from 2016 to 2021, and re-joined the board in May 2023. A passionate advocate for preservation, she devotes her time as our archivist and curator. 

​
Monrovia Historical Museum:
A physical space dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of Monrovia with over 10,000 documentary artifacts on exhibit – that’s 8,000 square feet of indoor space including the East and West wings which houses permanent and temporary displays, an office, a library and an expansive courtyard*. The Monrovia Historical Museum is a place for people of all ages to experience and learn about our city's history and it is managed by an all-volunteer board and staff. ​