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The village of Lancaster became the state of Nebraska's first capital city in 1867, renamed Lincoln. Not everyone predicted its success. One early observer noted: "There are no roads leading to it now. It has no commerce and there is scarcely a wagon load of produce raised annually within ten, perhaps twenty miles of it." These postcards from the authors' collections tell a different story in 200-plus images of a city that not only survived but thrived. Most of these images are from postcards' heyday in the first quarter of the 20th century. Many show buildings and places still recognizable a century later, while some depict less familiar scenes now lost.

Lincoln’s predecessor, Lancaster, formed in 1863 on the east bank of Salt Creek around a proposed Methodist female seminary. Though a building was erected, the school failed to materialize. When Nebraska became the 37th state in 1867, the village of Lancaster was chosen as its first capital, and the name was changed to Lincoln. Although lacking mineral resources, a navigable stream, a railroad, or even a minimal population, the village steadily grew and prospered from its 30 original inhabitants to its present population of more than 260,000. At the time of its origins, critics claimed, “Nobody will ever go to Lincoln who does not go to the legislature, the lunatic asylum, the penitentiary, or some of the state institutions.” Images of America: Lincoln's Early Architecture traces the city’s growth, including three state capitols and the University of Nebraska, into a modern city of diverse people, events, and businesses.