The postcards are a collaboration between the Average Places Project and the Obscured Landmarks Initiative in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Langston Hughes’ birth in February of this year. Developed by Tim Hossler, KU associate professor of design, the Average Places Project uses souvenirs to examine and document seemingly ordinary locations within cities where something historic has happened. Similarly, Obscured Landmarks aims to highlight less commonly told narratives about Lawrence and Douglas County, putting history in conversation with the present through site-based learning.

A white hand with red nail polish holds a postcard in front of a building across the street that is out of focus
Postcard 10 features Barteldes Seed Store (now Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop), where Langston Hughes sold maple seeds to support his family.

The postcard set highlights sites that were significant to Langston Hughes while he lived in Lawrence. Each postcard pairs a contemporary photograph of present-day Lawrence with a historic image of the same location. Elise Kirk, KU associate professor of visual art, took the contemporary photos for the project.

“Langston Hughes’ story in Lawrence lives in places that many people pass without noticing,” Hossler said. “This project brings those sites back into view through a collaboration between KU and community partners, with the hope that people will see the city differently — recognizing how deeply connected it is to Hughes’ life and legacy.”

Born in Joplin, Missouri, in 1901, Hughes spent his childhood in Lawrence. His short time in Lawrence influenced his life, and he would go on to become a successful poet and central figure of the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. One postcard features the Carnegie Building at 200 W. Ninth St., where Hughes discovered books at the Lawrence Public Library. Another features the Bowersock Opera House, now Liberty Hall, where Hughes watched live shows from the segregated upper balcony. Another shows the Barteldes Seed Store, now Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, where Hughes sold maple seeds to help support his family.

The project was made possible by the Hall Center for the Humanities, The Commons at KU, the Spencer Museum of Art, the Watkins Museum of History and the Lawrence Public Library. These organizations will have the full range of postcards to distribute. Individual cards will also be available at some of the featured sites.

“It’s exciting, in this second year of the Obscured Landmarks project, to see it take this new form,” said Emily Ryan, director of The Commons at KU. “Tim’s Average Places series brings profoundness to places that might otherwise seem completely ordinary. These postcards can spark new conversations as they introduce people to places in Lawrence as Langston Hughes encountered them.”