Real Photograph Post Cards - Cambridgeshire Subjects - Publishers

Different scenarios for Real Photograph Postcard Publishers

1. Professional photographic studios produced postcards with their own images and sold them as such from the studio and other outlets, publishing them in their own name.
   
   
2. Professional photographers produced portraits or other work for clients and offered their output, in whole or part, printed onto photographic paper with postcard backs. These may or may not have ever been intended to be used postally.
   
   
3. National or regional postcard publishers produced cards of local interest, which they sold through various outlets. The original photographs could have been taken by local photographers or photographers employed by the publisher. Postcards might be branded in the publisher’s name.
   
   
4. Local retailers (e.g. village shops and Post Offices) published local cards in their own name. They may have taken the photographs, they might have commissioned a photographer to take the photographs or they might have simply bought in the completed product from a bigger publisher. We can only spot these where the local publisher’s details are included on the postcard.
   
   
5. Local amateur photographers printed their own images onto photographic paper with postcard backs, or ordered their prints this way from photo processing laboratories, the finished product having the size and proportions of a postcard and the option for use postally.
   
   
6. Some professional photographers and printers offered postcards from client's own photographs. For example in the Stage Magazine 15 Aug 1912 p29 there was an adveretisement - "postcards copied from your own photograph, 50 for 3s 6d, 100 for 5s 6d, sample dozen 1s 7d post free Lafaye Ltd photographers 35 Norwood Grove Liverpool"
   

 Postcard publishers with Cambridgeshire subjects

[List compiled from recent Ebay offerings, example subjects in brackets. This is very much work in progress and the list below will continue to grow.]

Aero Pictorial Ltd: http://ncap.org.uk/Aero-Pictorial   (Anglesey Abbey)

Aeroplane Publishing Co (Wisbech market place, Littleport)

Bamforth J and Co Ltd, Holmfirth, Yorks (Kimbolton Castle No 1904)

Barfoot, E.M. - In the Norris Museum, St Ives PH/GODMC/45 is a postcard of the old mill Godmanchester, printed on reverse, “E.M.Barfoot, High Street, Huntingdon".

Bell and Co Westcliffe on Sea (Meldreth)

Bennett Brothers, Wisbech

Board’s of Buxton (Transport and General Workers Union convalescent home Littleport)

Boots The Chemist Ltd, Nottingham

A.W. Bourne 32 Babingley Drive Leicester (Shepreth Village)

P.A.Buchanan Ltd (St Mary's School)

Castle Hill Series, (Kirtling The Hall)

CAMBRIA WA Call (Castor Church tower c 1938)

Christian Nobels Series (St Mary's Church, Huntingdon)

Robert Henry Clark, Royston, Herts.  Real Photographic Series (Triplow), also shown as Clark’s Series (Triplow Church), (Guilden Morden 1905) http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/postcards/publisher-clark-royston.htm see below an example showing Newmarket Road Royston. This was postally used in in67

H. Coates, Nene Series, (4418 Bridge and Clarkson Memorial Wisbech)

COOK Soham Albion Series (St Andrews Church Soham No 11635)

Cotswold Publishing Co Glos. (The Porta, Ely)

Deer, E.H. stationer in St Ives in the 1960s- 1980s - see for example Norris Museum, PH/S.IVE/Mrkt.Hl/40 postcard of Market Hill St Ives from the 1980s published exclusively for E.H.Deer, St Ives, by Ace Promotions. Similarly PH/S.IVE/Waits/30 of The Waits, St Ives, from the 1960s

E.T.W.Dennis (Cambridge Bridge if Sighs)

Arthur H Elwood, hairdresser, Crown Street St Ives in 1911 census - Norris Museum illustrations catalogue PH/S.IVE/Broadway/13 is a postcard view of The Fountain, St Ive pub by A.H.Elwood St Ives.s.

Francis Frith -  Frith F and Co Ltd, Reigate, Surrey (extensive national coverage)

Glenn, stationer, St Ives, Postcard of Slepe Hall Norris Museum Collection PH/S.IVE/Slepe.H/09

Gray, J.P. Mike Petty, Eye on the Past, Cambridge Weekly News 12/8/92
 
W.E.Green’s Series (The Green, Haddenham, Aldreth)

Hankin, James G. and Son, stationers St Ives - St Ives view of Bridge Street, (Norris Museum), on reverse seal of the Artists RA Series. Also Norris Museum PH/S.IVE/Pa.Chur/03 interior of All Saints Church St Ives.

Haylock Art Series (March c.1910)

Jarrold and Sons Ltd Norwich Chrome Photo Series (various locations)

J & S  (?J.M. Jackson & Son, Ltd. ; Grimsby ) (799 Barrington High Street)

J.G.H. &S. refers to J.G.Hanhin and Son, St Ives.

Judge, F.  Mike Petty, Eye on the Past, Cambridge Weekly News 11/12/91

Judges Ltd  Hastings (Cambridge views – Hills Rd Cambridge)

K Ltd (A1 at Peterborough)

Kingsway S6539 (Clarkson Memorial Wisbech pre 1914)

Kingsway WHS (Ref S1089 Station Road March)

Laurie and McConnal, Fitzroy St Cambridge

Larkinson, F, High Street St Neots, also at Biggleswade and Stevenage. Fancy Goods shop, selling household goods, china, glass, books, stationary. A number of their local real photo postcards have been noted, photographers unknown, but nothing known at this time to suggest they took their own images. The example below of Paxton Hill St Neots, probably 1920s, (author's collection) was postally used, but the date is not readable. According to Cambridgeshire Community Archive Network St Neots, the firm operated from at least 1913 - they have a printed receipt from that date. The firm became a limited Company, Larkinson (Fancy Goods) Ltd, Co No 00455183, on 8/6/1948, with its registered office at 27 High Street Biggleswade. The company was dissolved in 1989.

Lilywhite Ltd Halifax, All British Photo Printers (St Neots and Peterborough street scenes)

LP & Co (?L.Pickles, & Co Ltd ) (Congregational Church Burwell)

M and H Series (St Ives River Bridge)

Donald McLeish (Peterborough Cathedral)

The Palatine Pictorial Co Manchester (Town Bridge Peterborough)

Parker & Son, Printers and Stationers, St Ives - see main photographer listing.

Parr and Son, All Saints Road, Newmarket. In Kelly's 1916 Directory of Cambridgeshire, Parr and Son were shown as stationers in Palace Street Newmarket and printers in All Saints Road Newmarket. The letter card below was supplied by them printed in Saxony, photographer not known. The coloured multi view shown below is one of two coloured and two black and white sets of views inside the letter card. This was postally used in 1914. In 1900 the Kelly's Directory showed Ernest Parr, reporter, at St Mary's Square, Newmarket. The 1911 census shows Ernest Alfred Parr b: 1872 Stowmarket Suffolk a "master printer, stationer, bookseller and journalist" living at Gyynned House Newmarket with his wife Louise, b: 1872 Battersea. The census form had been addressed to Mr Parr at Palace Street, Newmarket. Vy the 1930s Parr was the name of a loan office, later a house agent in All Saints Road, Newmarket.

Pelham Post Card Real Photo Series (Cambridge Colleges)

Photochrom Co Ltd London and Tunbridge Wells (Cambridge views - see example below)

Photo Precision Ltd, St Albans, English Series, (Cambridge Round Church No 5030). Photo Precision started after WW2 in St Albans, founder by two photo-recognizance officers ex-RAF officer Arthur Smith, and Tom English. The firm re-located to Caxton Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire in the early 1970s from where they produced huge quantities of postcards - including the colourful "collectors series" of which an example is shown below. There is a detailed discussion about the company and its products here: http://postcard.co.uk/messages/postcard/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=581

Poyser, Printer and Stationer, 6 Bridge Street, Wisbech (see example below - 1920s - The Bridge Brink, Wisbech)

H.Raby, Downham Market, Norfolk. Herbert Raby was a stationer in Bridge Street Downham Market. He published RPPCs of the surrounding area - his name as publisher appears on cards produced by Valentine and by Aerofilms. ("Published by H.Raby, Downham" is from Downham Market, not Little Downham near Ely.) Kellys Directory of Norfolk 1908.

Rapid Photo Co 60 Princes Street Peterborough – (views of the River Ouse at St Neots)

Photochrom Co Ltd, Tunbridge Wells (Peterborough views, Ely Cathedral)

Rayners Series (Barrington J3837)

J Russell & Sons, Royal Photographers, Southsea (Church at Thorney)

Walter Scott of Bradford – (Bridge Street Peterborough, Ely Cathedral, Aerial shot of Peterborough Cathedral)

R.I Severs 10 Kings Parade Cambridge, (views of different Cambridge colleges)

SJW - Peterborough views - see Samuel John Wharton in main listing

Skilton, Charles Ltd (Godmanchester view)

Smith, W.H. & Son (various subjects)

Spalding, W.P. 43 Sidney Street, Cambridge, printers and stationers - below is a souvenir booklet of 6 postcards which they produced, c.1910.

Starr and Rignall, Cambridge and Ely, (fenland floods, Littleport busses)

Stearn Cambridge (Round Church, college views etc)

Stengel (Cambridge college views)

St Neots Advertiser, St Neots  (publishes RPPCs of St Neots)

Stott (Peterborough street views)

T and D - Taylor and Downs publishers, 28 Westgate Peterborough, High Street Stamford and Bridge Street Thrapston - listed and advertised their local post cards in the Peterborough Advertiser, in 1905 - for example p1, 25 Feb 1905. Below is an example of a screened colour print postcard depicting the Peterborough Co-operative stores in Park Rd Peterborough, photographer not known.

BF Talbot (Linton, Senate House Cambridge 1904)

Taylor and Downs (Peterborough Cathedral) (see T and D above)

Thackray, V. Stationer and newsagent, St Ives. 1934 postcard example in the Norris Museum, PH/S.IVE//PaChur/23a-b

John P Tibbitts (Ely c 1914)

Raphael Tuck and Sons Ltd  (Wisbech Market)

Valentine & Sons Ltd, Dundee – (various subjects) their records are at University of St Andrews
Prolific postcard producers from Dundee – their output included Cambridge and Cambridgeshire, photographers unknown. In addition to the usual University and College topics their output included other less well known shots, for example the postcard below (author’s collection) is one of their views of the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys, postally used in 1914.
References: Mike Petty, The Photographers, (a handlist of local photographers), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire Collection, 1992. Mike Petty, An Eye on the Past, Cambridge Weekly News 16/10/1991

Waddelow’s Series (6021 Sun St Waterbeach)

Miss N A WALDOCK, Owner of fancy goods repository in Bridge Street St Ives and publisher of postcards. A number of her postcards with St Ives views survive in the Norris Museum St Ives.
References: Kelly’s Directory 1920 and 1924. Example, postcard of the Queen Victoria Memorial, St Ives, Norris Museum catalogue PH/S.IVE/Broadway/30

WHS Kingsway Series (WH Smith & Son) (S1904 Ely Cathedral)

Wrench Series (college views, Cambridge)

Alfred Wood 59 and 60 High Street, Huntingdon (Hinchingbrooke and St Ives river bridge)

Wyndham (St John's College Chapel interior)

References

See here for a list by initial only of RPPC publishers selling into the UK:
http://www.tylcoat.co.uk/publish.htm

This is a good general site http://www.tylcoat.co.uk/postcards.htm

Anthony Byatt “Picture Postcards and their Publishers” ISBN 0 9506212 0 X

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