Zanesville OH Zane Grey Exhibit Postcard 1940s-50s Hivnor Card Co Author Display For Sale

This photochromic linen-era postcard, numbered 98034, documents a dedicated commemorative exhibition in Zanesville, Ohio, honoring the town’s most famous literary son, Zane Grey. The front image presents a meticulously arranged retail display set against a red pegboard and a pale wall, with a wooden shelf supporting a row of books. A prominent banner proclaims Grey as “THE MAN WHO MADE THE WEST FAMOUS,” while the surrounding shelves showcase a striking array of his pulp and novel titles, including *The Thundering Herd*, *Riders of the Purple Sage*, *The Mysterious Rider*, *The Light of Western Stars*, *The Call of the Canyon*, *The U.P. Trail*, *Wild Horse Mesa*, *Nevada*, *The Arizona Ames*, *Thunder Mountain*, *The Lone Star Ranger*, and *The Last Trail*. A framed portrait of Grey hangs on the wall beside a printed list, likely a bibliography or biographical note, though the small type is indecipherable in reproduction. The verso, printed by Hivnor Card Company of Zanesville, Ohio, provides the essential context: this display was part of a “Zane Grey Exhibit” on the second floor of the First Federal building at Fifth & Market streets in Zanesville, Ohio. The text notes that Grey’s 85 books had sold 30,000,000 copies and been translated into 20 foreign languages, a testament to his unparalleled influence on the Western genre. The exhibition was free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. The image was photographed by Floyd Hivnor, a local photographer whose card company specialized in regional ephemera. There is no handwritten message, cancellation mark, or postal usage on this card; it exists purely as a souvenir or promotional piece for fans and visitors. The card itself exhibits mild foxing and age-related toning, particularly along the right address area and scattered across the left descriptive panel, consistent with mid-20th-century storage. The specific date of the exhibit is not printed, though the reference to 85 published books and the overall design aesthetic suggest a production date in the late 1940s or early 1950s, during the peak of Grey’s posthumous popularity. This postcard offers a rare, verifiable glimpse into the institutional celebration of a literary icon in his own birthplace, capturing a moment when his mythos was actively curated for the public.