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"RARE 1987 OPENING YEAR DUNES MANOR HOTEL POSTCARD - VINTAGE OCEAN CITY MARYLAND LANDMARK!
You're viewing an increasingly scarce vintage chrome postcard documenting the iconic Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City Maryland during its inaugural year. This pristine unused postcard captures a significant moment in Ocean City's development that cannot be repeated!
Photographed immediately after the hotel's 1987 grand opening this card preserves the original appearance of this distinctive Victorian-inspired oceanfront landmark before decades of coastal weather and renovations changed its appearance. Don't miss this opportunity to own a true time capsule of Maryland coastal history!
Description
This premium chrome postcard showcases the magnificent Dunes Manor Hotel in its original pristine condition newly constructed in 1987.
The striking image captures the hotel's distinctive Victorian-inspired design featuring four prominent corner towers with triangular roofs creating a dramatic silhouette against the blue sky.
The light pink/peach exterior with darker pink/mauve accents exemplifies the late 1980s resort architectural style that was transforming Ocean City's skyline during this boom period of coastal development.
Visible in the foreground is the hotel's original entrance signage displaying both 'DUNES MANOR HOTEL' and the 'VICTORIAN ROOM RESTAURANT' with the 'ZIPPY LEWIS HAPPY HOUR 4 PM - 7 PM' promotion - ephemeral details that have likely changed or disappeared in subsequent decades.
The newly planted landscaping and young trees visible in the image confirm this was photographed during the hotel's inaugural period documenting the property exactly as it appeared when first welcoming guests.
The parking lot features vehicles typical of the late 1980s providing additional authentication of the exact period when this image was captured - a moment in Ocean City's development that can never be photographed again.
Historical Significance
The Dunes Manor Hotel represented a significant addition to Ocean City's accommodations when it opened in 1987 part of the resort town's expansion northward along the coastline.
The hotel's Victorian-inspired design was deliberately chosen to 'recapture the charm of Ocean City's early seaside hotels' (as stated on the card's reverse) representing a nostalgic architectural trend that rejected the concrete modernism of earlier decades.
This postcard documents Ocean City during a pivotal transition period as it evolved from a modest beach town into a major East Coast resort destination with increasingly upscale accommodations.
The late 1980s marked the beginning of significant expansion in Ocean City's hotel industry with the Dunes Manor being among the most architecturally distinctive properties developed during this boom.
The hotel was opened by hotelier Thelma Conner widow of Milton Conner who had previously owned the iconic Dunes Motel. This representation of her vision to create an elegant Victorian-style hotel perfectly captured its grand opening appearance.
The tradition of afternoon tea mentioned on the reverse side began with the hotel's opening and continues to this day making this card documentation of the beginning of what would become a beloved Ocean City tradition.
Print Quality & Details
Published by Ogden & Associates of Salisbury MD a premier producer of Eastern Shore and Ocean City promotional materials during this era.
The card features detailed promotional text highlighting the hotel's amenities including the oceanfront Victorian Room restaurant Zippy Lewis Lounge and the tradition of afternoon tea in the lobby.
The reverse notes that 'All rooms and suites are oceanfront with balcony' - a selling point that distinguished the Dunes Manor from many other Ocean City accommodations of the period.
Multiple telephone numbers are provided for different regional calling areas (MD vs. DC VA WVA DE NJ PA NY) reflecting the pre-digital reservation systems of the late 1980s - another vanishing aspect of travel history.
The card's design and printing style are quintessentially representative of premium hotel promotional postcards from the specific 1987-1989 period.
Condition
This vintage card remains in good overall condition for its 35+ year age showing only modest wear consistent with careful storage.
The front image retains good color saturation despite some minor fading typical of chrome cards from this era.
Some mild scratches or printing lines are visible on the front but do not significantly detract from the image clarity or overall presentation.
The reverse shows expected age-related toning/yellowing around the edges with some minor staining visible along the left edge.
The card remains completely unused - no writing postmarks or other alterations affect its collector value as a pristine example of the hotel's promotional material.
Age/Era
This postcard dates precisely to 1987-1989 coinciding with the opening and early operation of the Dunes Manor Hotel.
The card represents the specific transitional period of Ocean City's development in the late 1980s as the resort town expanded northward with increasingly upscale properties.
The vehicle styles visible in the parking lot architectural details and newly planted landscaping all confirm the 1987-1989 timeframe making this a well-documented artifact from a specific moment in Ocean City's evolution.
The late 1980s represent an interesting period in American coastal tourism development as resort towns like Ocean City invested heavily in new accommodations to attract more affluent visitors.
As we approach four decades since this card was produced it crosses the threshold into genuine vintage collectible status increasing its appeal to serious collectors of Maryland coastal ephemera.
Rarity
Postcards documenting hotels at their precise grand opening period are particularly difficult to find as they were produced for a relatively short time before being updated with newer images.
Unused examples in good condition are becoming increasingly scarce as most cards were either mailed (acquiring postal markings and wear) or discarded as newer promotional materials replaced them.
Each year more of these Ocean City documentation cards disappear into permanent collections or are lost to damage and disposal making each surviving example more valuable to serious collectors.
This may be your ONLY CHANCE to own this specific documentation of the Dunes Manor Hotel in its original form - a vanishing piece of Maryland coastal history that cannot be replaced once gone.
The growing interest in preserving visual records of Ocean City's development makes this an increasingly desirable collector's item for Maryland historians Ocean City enthusiasts and hotel postcard collectors alike.
Collector's Note
This postcard would make an excellent addition to collections focusing on Maryland tourism Ocean City history beach/coastal resorts hotel architecture or 1980s ephemera.
The card's unused condition makes it particularly suitable for display or archival collection as it represents the hotel exactly as it was intended to be viewed when first opened.
The historical transformation of Ocean City's coastline over the decades since this image was captured makes this an important visual record of the resort town's development.
As interest in documenting the evolution of American beach resorts continues to grow ephemeral items like this postcard will only increase in historical significance and collector value.
This may be your ONLY OPPORTUNITY to acquire this increasingly scarce documentation of a significant Ocean City landmark at the moment of its creation - once it's gone it's gone forever!
Shipping Information
Your vintage postcard will be carefully packaged in an archival sleeve and shipped in a rigid mailer to ensure safe arrival.
Buy multiple postcards and pay only ONE low shipping cost!
Don't miss this rare opportunity to own an authentic piece of Ocean City history! This disappearing example of late 1980s coastal resort documentation represents a moment in Maryland tourism development that grows more historically significant with each passing year."
_gsrx_vers_1715 (GS 9.9.2 (1715))
Offered by Gosla Antiques & Collectibles, purveyors of antiquities, curiosities and collectible wares. Dispatched from Pennsylvania, United States, with tracking.
Gosla Antiques & Collectibles