About 25 postcards featuring photographs taken of the borough between 1900 and 1930 will be on display Sunday at Lakeview: Buckelew Mansion from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The temporary exhibit, "Jamesburg of Yesteryear: Postcards of the Past," is sponsored by the Jamesburg Historical Association and will run until May 28.
Postcards were a common form of communication in the early 20th century, said Borough Historian Tom Bodall, who organized the exhibit.
The borough was fortunate to have more than 130 documented postcard views taken by a number of photographers, he said.
Three kinds of postcards — undivided back, divided back, and those with ink-saving white borders — will be featured in the exhibit. Postcards with an undivided back can only be written on in the space allotted on the front. The back was reserved for the post office's use. Divided back postcards leaves space on the back for a message, as well as space for the post office's use. Postcards with a white border came into style during WWI as an ink saving measure.
The showcased postcards feature some of Jamesburg's defining landmarks, such as East and West Railroad avenues, Manalapan Lake and the railroad. Other postcards document different events in the borough's past, such as the 1907 fire that destroyed Jamesburg's silk mill.
"It gives a pretty good impression of what the borough looked like in different periods," said Mr. Bodall. "They're a good way of sharing history visually."
Those who visit the exhibit can also read the messages written on the postcards. Most postcards senders dropped quick lines to their friends and family while staying in the borough.
"Wishing you were here with me," wrote one sender.
A brief history of postcards in the United States will accompany the postcards.
Tours of the mansion will also be available at the unveiling.
For more information on the Jamesburg Historical Association, visit www.jamesburghistory.com or call (732) 521-2040 and leave a message.