River Crest Sanitarium promotional postcard. Original double-sided advertising postcard, ca. 1920s–30s, 3.5 x 5.5 in., for The River Crest Sanitarium in Astoria, Long Island, New York, a facility dedicated to the treatment of alcoholic patients. The front features printed photographs of the grounds and interiors, with captions noting the “Women’s Building” and “Men’s Building.” Text boasts of “excellent facilities for the thorough treatment of alcoholic patients” with “separate, attractive quarters” and “very reasonable rates.” Reverse side, addressed to Dr. William A. White of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., promotes modern care, private suites, and accessibility via the IRT and BMT subway lines.
The addressee, Dr. William A. White (1870–1937), was one of the leading American psychiatrists of the early 20th century and longtime Superintendent of St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he pioneered humane approaches to mental health care.
An unusual survivor, reflecting both early approaches to the treatment of alcoholism and the marketing of sanitarium services in the New York area.
With One of a Kind Collectibles LOA.