This was Walch’s 6th series of coloured postcards printed by C.G. Röder in Germany. The previous series were:
1905 B-24000
1905 Series G-1906
1906 Series G
1907 Series 119,000
1907 Series 120,000
For this series the name ‘Tasman Series’ was introduced; this name was retained for subsequent colour cards up to 1914.
Series Content: There were 24 cards in the series, which continued the practice of reprinting earlier cards. The cards, with the numbers assigned to them by the printer, are:
138792 Government House, Hobart.
138793 Brown’s River Road.
138794 The Derwent Lighthouse, Hobart.
138795 Macquarie Street, Hobart.
138796 Huon Bridge & Picnic Hotel.
138797 Cape Raoul.
138798 Hobart from Bellerive.
138799 Franklin Square, Hobart.
138800 The Post Office, Hobart.
138801 Elizabeth Street, Hobart.
138802 Mt. Wellington from Huon Road.
138803 The Shot Tower, Kingston Road.
138804 Fern Tree Bower.
138805 New Norfolk Bridge.
138806 The Water Works, Hobart.
138807 Silver Falls, Hobart.
138808 The Bend, Huon Road.
138809 The Pavement, Eagle Hawk Neck.
138810 Hobart from the Crescent.
138811 Huon River.
138812 Sandy Bay from Battery Point.
138813 Hobart from the Harbour.
138814 Fern Tree Bower.
138815 Brown’s River.
Date Published: The order to supply the cards was sent to the printer on 15 July, 1908, but there is no later correspondence. Allowing for printing and shipping to Tasmania, they probably went on sale in Hobart in late 1908. The earliest postmark date I have seen is 15 December, 1908.
Printing: The series was printed by C.G. Röder, in Leipzig, Germany, using their “Röder’s Own” process. The back layout was provided in a handwritten letter on 15 July, 1908, (See below) and then modified in another letter on 27 July, 1908. They ordered 3,000 of each card.
Number in Series: 24
Identification: These are identified by ‘The “Tasman” Series’ on the left margin on the back. Printers numbers are in the range 138792-138815.
History of the Series
Walch’s London agent, Herbert Bishop, wrote to C.G. Röder in Leipzig, Germany on 15 July 1908:
Dear Sir,
We now have pleasure in enclosing an order for 3000 Post Cards each of 24 subjects in your Röder’s Own process & we shall be obliged if you will kindly let us have delivery as soon as possible.
Please retain the 24 photographs (sent today be parcel post) for a time as we are expecting an order from Hobart for some post cards to be printed in your “Photo-Baryt” process.
We do not think it necessary for you to send the photographs back with the proofs. If we want them we will ask for them.
Copy for the address side – our imprint not wanted this time.
Please cut up the sheets of post cards and trim as usual and we should like you to band the cards in packets of 50 – (that is each packet to contain 50 cards of one subject).
We require 3.000 post cards of each of the 24 subjects in your “Röder’s Own” process, for which you are willing to charge us at the rate of 11s/9d. per 1000.
List of Original Photographs
1. Government House, Hobart.
2. Brown’s River Road.
3. The Derwent Lighthouse, Hobart.
4. Macquarie Street, Hobart.
5. Huon Bridge & Picnic Hotel.
6. Cape Raoul.
7. Hobart from Bellerive.
8. Franklin Square, Hobart.
9. The Post Office, Hobart.
10. Elizabeth Street, Hobart.
11. Mt. Wellington from Huon Road.
12. The Shot Tower, Kingston Road.
13. Fern Tree Bower.
14. New Norfolk Bridge.
15. The Water Works, Hobart.
16. Silver Falls, Hobart.
17. The Bend, Huon Road.
18. The Pavement, Eagle Hawk Neck.
19. Hobart from the Crescent.
20. Huon Road. [Error: River]
21. Sandy Bay from Battery Point.
22. Hobart from the Harbour.
23. Fern Tree Bower.
24. Brown’s River.
Forwarded by parcel post. Also sending you 18 post cards you printed for us in your “Photo-Baryt” process of subjects.
The layout of the back given here was unusual, as it specified that the Walch imprint was not wanted on the back of the cards. But that was soon rectified, as Bishop wrote to the printers again on 27 July, 1908
With reference to our order dated 15th July, will you kindly print the words – ‘The “Tasman” Series.’ on the left hand side of the post cards (address side) as below.
When ready please post 6 complete sets of the post cards, direct to J. Walch & Sons, Hobart, Tasmania & 2 sets to London office.
I can find no further correspondence relating to this series; ordering and shipping of postcards was becoming routine for Walch’s so we assume they were received in Tasmania without with no trouble.
