This was Walch’s 7th series of coloured postcards to be printed by C.G. Röder of Leipzig, Germany. The earlier series were:
1905 B-24000
1905 Series G-1906
1906 Series G
1907 Series 119,000
1907 Series 120,000
1908 Tasman Series 1908
Series Content:
There were 36 cards in the series. The first 24 were reprints from the 1908 series. For the remaining 12 new photos were supplied and new printing plates made up, although some had appeared in earlier series. The cards, with the numbers assigned by the printer, are:
139697 Government House, Hobart.
139698 Brown’s River Road.
139699 The Derwent Lighthouse, Hobart.
139700 Macquarie Street, Hobart.
139701 Huon Bridge & Picnic Hotel.
139702 Cape Raoul.
139703 Hobart from Bellerive.
139704 Franklin Square, Hobart.
139705 The Post Office, Hobart.
139706 Elizabeth Street, Hobart.
139707 Mt. Wellington from Huon Road.
139708 The Shot Tower, Kingston Road.
139709 Fern Tree Bower.
139710 New Norfolk Bridge.
139711 The Water Works, Hobart.
139712 Silver Falls, Hobart.
139713 The Bend, Huon Road.
139714 The Pavement, Eagle Hawk Neck.
139715 Hobart from the Crescent.
139716 Huon Road. [Error for Huon River]
139717 Sandy Bay from Battery Point.
139718 Hobart from the Harbour.
139719 Fern Tree Bower.
139720 Brown’s River.
139721 Round Tower, Port Arthur.
139722 Port Arthur.
139723 Russell Falls.
139724 St. John’s Avenue, New Town.
139725 The Fern Retreat.
139726 The Clematis Hut.
139727 The Falls Hut.
139728 Brown’s River Beach.
139729 Sandy Bay, Hobart.
139730 Tasmanian Apples.
139731 Mt Wellington from Sandy Bay.
139732 Hobart from the Harbour.
Date published: The order was sent to the printer by the London Agent on 30 November 1908. I have no information on the shipping date, but they would have taken several months to reach Tasmania after printing, so would have gone on sale around mid 1909. The earliest postmark date I have seen is 27 Oct 1909.
Printing: The series was printed by C.G. Röder in Leipzig, Germany, using their “Roders own” photolithography process. The back layout was provided in a letter dated Nov 30, 1908 (see below). There were 3,000 of each card ordered.
Number in Series: 36
Identification: The cards are identified by ‘The “Tasman Series”’ along the left margin on the back. Printer’s numbers are in the range 139697-139732.
History of the Series
Herbert Bishop, who was Walch’s London agent, wrote to the printer C.G. Röder on November 30, 1908: [1]
Dear Sir,
We now have pleasure in enclosing an order for 3,000 post cards each of 36 subjects in your “Roders Own” process & we shall be obliged if you will kindly let us have delivery as soon as possible.
Number 1 to 24 are reprints of those invoiced 25th August 1908 & you hold the original photos.
Numbers 25-36 are new subjects in your “Roders Own” process & the 12 photographs we post you today.
The price for reprints we understand is 10s 6d per 1000 & for new subjects 11s 9d per 1000.
When sending us the proofs we do not think it necessary for you to return the photographs unless you have finished with them, so please send us the whole lot when done with.
Please post 6 complete sets when ready direct to Hobart, Tasmania & 2 sets to London Office.
Yours faithfully,
Herbert Bishop
The next page contained the cost and the layout for the back of the cards:
3,000 coloured post cards each of 36 subjects = 108,000 in “Roders Own” style.
Imprint “The Tasman Series” – as invoiced 25th August.
@ 10s 9d per 1000 for Nos. 1-24 inclusive being reprints
@ 11s 9d per 1000 for Nos. 25-36 inclusive New Subjects
Please cut up the sheets of post cards & trim as usual & band the cards in packets of 50 (of one subject). When ready packed please forward to the order of Mr Eugen Riedent (Shipping Agent) Hamburg for shipment per steamer to Hobart.
List of 24 reprints in “Roders Own” process as invoiced 25 August
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 for Huon River]
21. Sandy Bay from Battery Point.
22. Hobart from the Harbour.
23. Fern Tree Bower.
24. Brown’s River.
The above 24 original photographs were posted to you on 15 July, 1908 & are still in your possession.
List of original Photographs – posted this day
25. Round Tower, Port Arthur.
26. Port Arthur.
27. Russell Falls.
28. St. John’s Avenue, New Town.
29. The Fern Retreat.
30. The Clematis Hut.
31. The Falls Hut.
32. Brown’s River Beach.
33. Sandy Bay, Hobart.
34. Tasmanian Apples.
35. Mt Wellington from Sandy Bay.
36. Hobart from the Harbour.
No. 34 We send you a photo of Tasmanian Apples hand-coloured as a guide for your printing.
I can see no further correspondence relating to this series. Presumably the proofs arrived in London and were approved, and the cards shipped from Hamburg to Tasmania. After dispatch it would have taken two months for the cards to reach Hobart
References
[1] Archives Office of Tasmania NS2870/1/1 Copies of invoices and orders to suppliers in England. pp. 510-513
