Belfast was incorporated in 1853 as a city, the 8th in Maine, and is situated at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River on Penobscot Bay. In the 19th century Belfast developed into a shipbuilding center, producing hundreds of multi masted schooners. Belfast is the county seat of Waldo County and its downtown waterfront remains popular with tourists.

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, "Birdseye view of Belfast, Maine."