Michael J. Semas has an interesting perspective into valley history thanks to his collection of thousands of rare postcards, many more than 100 years old. Real photo postcards captured everyday life in Central California, and in many cases, they may be the only images remaining of certain communities, people or buildings.
Semas has authored several books on valley history which display some of his historic images, and runs a popular Facebook page on historic imagery. He recently gave a talk and slideshow at the Woodward Park Regional Library in Fresno. He joined us on Valley Edition to talk about his presentations including "A Trip From Morro Rock to Morro Rock" documenting a hypothetical journey from the Sierra to the sea. He also gave a talk about women in the valley, showing photos that depict the agricultural and domestic roles of women in the late 19th and early 20th century.
