The Poca Post announces the release of a new stamp recalling the “Tinker Tite Poca Postcard Parlor.”
In Fall of 1877, Mr. Tinker Tite of Buffalo-on-the-Poca made a trip to Europe. During his 3 month tour, he became enamored of picture postcards. He returned home to the Poca River Basin with a large stock of cards in his possession.

He found that many people along the Poca River were interested in viewing his postcards. He was a popular dinner guest for several months. It dawned on Tite that he might create a business of showing his cards. However, there did not exist a manner in which he could show his cards to more than a few people at a time.

At this point, Mr. Tite devised and built what was an innovative opaque projector. He was able to place a postcard in the device and the image would be projected upon a wall. Mr. Tite then purchased a small building on River Street in Bancroft, had the windows painted black, and installed his device.

The “Tinker Tite Poca Postcard Parlor” opened in May of 1889. The business was highly successful until the Nickelodeon was introduced into the area in 1905. Upon closing the doors of the “Tinker Tite Poca Postcard Parlor,” Mr. Tite gave his collection of picture postcards to the Bancroft-on-the-Poca Public Library where they remain to this day.

The stamp is issued in a pane of 16 stamps, and in the denomination of 61 pu.