Framed by a cathedral canopy of mature elms, the Crane Inn of Dalton, Massachusetts gleams white in full summer dress in this mid-century chrome-era card — its Second Empire mansard roof, double-decker wraparound porches with turned balustrades, and dormered upper story projecting the gracious confidence of a New England country inn in its prime. Dalton sits in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, and the Crane family — founders of Crane & Co., still the exclusive maker of US currency paper — shaped this entire community. Route 9, the historic Boston Post Road, runs right past the inn's front door, making it a natural waystation for travelers on that storied corridor. The reverse notes distances to Albany, Springfield, Northampton, New York, and Boston with the matter-of-fact assurance of a place that expected guests from everywhere. This card was never mailed, its stamp box pristine and blank.