August 27 was a typical late summer day at the Newberry when an email came in to our Rights and Reproductions inbox. It was from a consultant who was working with the classic rock band, The Eagles. The request was for digital images relating to a number of postcards in the Newberry’s Curt Teich Postcard Archives Collection, widely regarded as the largest public collection of postcards and related materials in the United States. The collection includes postcards on almost any topic imaginable in American life, but The Eagles were interested in a few in particular to serve as the backdrop for an upcoming show—a show at the Sphere, the ultramodern venue that opened in Las Vegas in 2023.
Many know The Eagles for their carefree songs about being on the open road in the American West. It may not come as a surprise that the band was interested in “large-letter” postcards of the type that were synonymous with mid-century gas stations, diners, and souvenir stands. The song “Take It Easy” references Winslow, Arizona—an outpost on the famed Route 66—and conjures images of laid-back days on the road while “lightening the load” of everyday stresses.
Well, I'm standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me
Come on, baby, don't say maybe
I gotta know if your sweet love
Is gonna save me
The postcard images were needed for the opening of the Sphere residency just days later, September 5. As part of the performance of “Take It Easy,” the band would display a number of vintage Curt Teich postcards on screen behind and adjacent to the stage. The Newberry’s team jumped into action to fulfill the request and provide digital files. Postcard Librarian Kinsey Major located each postcard from the collection and brought them to our digital imaging lab. There, photographer Catherine Gass used a high-powered camera to capture images with enough resolution for the Sphere. The Eagles' production team then made some alterations to the postcards to feature moving images within the letters.
“Personally, when the request came in through our email I couldn't believe it,” Kinsey said. “I had taken a road trip to California with my mother and grandmother when I was 15, and on our way through Winslow, Arizona, my mother put the song ‘Take It Easy' on the car radio and we sang it as we drove through town. She even took photos of me standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona!”
The Eagles’ residency at the Sphere runs through Spring 2026, though viewing Teich postcards can be done any time through our digital collections or by visiting our reading rooms.
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