This series is named Real Photo M to distinguish it from the next series, the Real Photo Series.

Series Contents: This is a long Australia-wide series in which the card numbers are preceded by ‘M.’ I have seen cards of this series from Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia, with Victorian cards being the most common and WA cards scarce.   I have seen card numbers in the range from M.119 up to M.6119, but I don’t know if it is a continuous range.

Date Published:  The few used cards that I have seen have postmark dates in the period 1922-1934, with Tasmanian cards in the range 1922-1929.

Printing: These cards are standard black & white photographic prints that were printed for Valentine’s by the Rose Stereograph Company, of Armadale, Melbourne, Victoria.  The history of the Rose company, including details of the photographic printing process, was described by Ron Blum in his book George Rose The Postcard Era (Published by the author, Oaklands Park, South Australia, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9589572-4-3)

Identification: Cards are identified on the back as “Valentines Real Photo Series” and have a number preceded by M on the front.  The publisher’s attribution on the back is quite variable. It can be:

Published by the Valentine Publishing Co Pty Ltd, Queens St Melb

Published by the Valentine & Sons Publishing Co Ltd Melbourne Sydney & Brisbane

Valentine Publishing Co, Melbourne & Sydney