From the sunny winter of 1939, a pen-and-ink illustrated linen postcard of the stately U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego radiates old-California glamour — palm trees lining the plaza, vintage automobiles curving past a fountain, and a radio tower crowning the grand Beaux-Arts façade. Opened in 1910 by Ulysses S. Grant Jr., the hotel was a celebrated landmark of West Coast hospitality. The card carries a warm, chatty message from a traveler named Mary, writing to her friend Marjorie in Washington, D.C.: she's been touring California, catching up with old friends in San Diego and Escondido — some not seen for 25 years — and plans to head to Los Angeles the following week, signing off with characteristic affection. Postmarked San Diego, February 9, 1939 at 8:30 PM.