Picture Post Card Co.

Eastbourne. Little is known about this Eastbourne firm, which seems not to be listed in any Directories. By 1908 it was publishing sepia-tinted real photographic cards of Eastbourne, Hampden Park and Horsebridge that were ink-stamped "The Picture Post Card Co." on the back. Judging from the paucity of surviving examples, the firm seems to have had little success with its real photographic cards, and may have quickly abandoned their production. It achieved markedly better sales, however, with a series of collotype views of Eastbourne and Lewes that were tinted blue-green and had varnished surfaces. An example is shown above. At first glance the cards, which were printed in Wurttemberg and labelled "The Picture Post Card Co., Eastbourne. Duplex Series" on the back, could be mistaken for real photographics. Also of German origin but printed at Treves are some four-colour cards of Rye. Hampden Park, Polegate and Wannock that are normal black and white collotypes to which blue and green washes have been applied, possibly by chromo-litho, and red highlights added using a relatively crude half-tone overlay. Postmarks vary from 1907 to 1912. These cards, which must have been time-consuming and expensive to print, are labelled on the back with a four digit identifying number (such as 8777, 8780 or 8784) followed by the words "The Picture Post Card Co. Eastbourne. Chromo Series" and in the case of the Hampden Park, Polegate and Wannock cards a trailing 3 digit number (for example 505 or 507).Richard Oxley reproduced at least one of the Polegate photographs as a black and white collotype card in his "Oxley's Newhaven Series", but this was printed in England. In addition, Albert Shoesmith issued one of the Hampden Park cards as a real photographic. Whether Shoesmith and Oxley took the original photographs is not known, nor has it been determined how many Chromo Series cards were issued.

Another publishing venture of the Picture Post Card Co. was its "Moonlight Series" of dubiously coloured collotypes, for example showing Beachy Head splashed in a faint pink. More sought after by today's collectors is the "Hastings New & Old Series" of uncoloured collotype cards. Each card carries a photograph of a building in its current (Edwardian) incarnation and an artist's sketch of how it once appeared. Subjects include the Wesley Chapel at Hastings (previously a theatre) and Fairlight Church before and after rebuilding. The New & Old Series cards were printed in Berlin, and were rebadged versions of some six or so collotype cards of "Hastings - New and Old", which were printed in Germany and published in the "B and S Series, Hastings", presumably by an earlier firm. A 1907 postmark has been found on a B & S card.

The Picture Post Card Co. also issued collotype cards of Rye with captions printed in a distinctly Gothic style. Although the cards are labelled "The Picture Post Card Co. Eastbourne Black & White Series", they have Mezzotint-type backs and there can be no doubt that they were manufactured by the Brighton firm in fulfilment of an order from the Picture Post Card Co.

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