This aerial view of the Kennebunk River where it meets the Atlantic Ocean shows the Colony Hotel, originally called "Breakwater Court" when it opened in 1914, which sits at the mouth of the river.

The Kennebunk River was probably discovered by explorers around 1602. Kennebunk and nearby towns were settled in 1643, but depopulated several times during the Indian Wars. During the nineteenth century, the banks of the Kennebunk River boasted six shipyards that launched 638 vessels.

The Tichnor Brothers printing company published this type of postcard circa 1938 as part of their Maine series. These, and other postcards, by the Tichnor Brothers Company are officially known as the Tichnor Gloss Series because the photographs were notoriously retouched on such a level that does not allow the postcards to be classified as photographs or paintings. The caption reads, "Airplane view of mouth of Kennebunk River and The Colony, Kennebunkport, Maine."