This view of the Courthouse is part of a set published by the Curt Teich Co. of Chicago that had a phenomenally long life. Some cards in the series exist in three different versions -- a set "Published exclusively for Robertson Drug Co., Salem, Ind.", a set without a publisher credit, and a set "Distributed by Apple's Drugs, Salem, Ind." The Robertson Drug Co. set All the cards in the series are black-and-white halftone printed images (rather than photographic prints). In this earliest version they are identified on the back as "C.T. American Art Black and White." In the later versions they are labeled as "C.T. Photo-Finish" cards. The number of cards in the set is unknown.Four 1930s cards -- the John Hay House, the Courthouse, the Weir Memorial Methodist Church, and the Carnegie Library -- were included in the Apple's Drugs set. They are numbered sequentially from 1A1339. Whether there are Salem cards before the Hay House card -- that is, with production numbers lower than 1A1339 -- I don't know. This card, numbered 1A1340, is the second card in the set: the first is a view of the John Hay House numbered 1A1339. The production number on this card, 1A1340, as with all Curt Teich cards, indicates the date it was published -- "1" for the first year of the "A" decade, the 1930s: 1931. The back of the card shows features that confirm the early date. The back of the card credits Robertson Drug Co.: The Robertson family drugstore had a long history in Salem -- and in Salem postcards (see the 1908 Carnegie Library card). (1/7/01) Index | The 1930s | Next card