This was Walch’s first series of full colour postcards.
Series Contents: There are 12 cards, which are reworked, coloured versions of cards from the 1904 Wide Series. (The numbers are the printer number, which appears on the back of the cards).
Shot Tower Brown’s River Road 48565
Franklin Square, Hobart 48564
Silver Falls 48563
Cape Raoul 48572
Fern Tree Bower 48571
Government House, Hobart 48570
Murray and Macquarie Streets Hobart 48569
Cascades, Hobart 48568
Hobart Wharves
Elizabeth Street, Hobart 48562
Mount Wellington, from Huon Road 48566
River Derwent near New Norfolk 48573
Date printed: The cards were ordered from the printer on July 4, 1904. They were dispatched from London to Tasmania in mid-November 1904, and were announced for sale in Hobart in February 1905. The earliest postmark date I have seen is April 8, 1905.
Printing: The series was printed by C.G. Röder, Leipzig, Germany, by photolithography. Röder printed the coloured image on the front of the card and the green printers number on the back. Walch’s in Hobart added the front caption and the rest of the printing on the back. The cards were shipped from Germany in sheets and cut up into individual cards in Hobart to avoid duty. There were 2,000 of each of the 12 cards printed, hence the series title “Series B – 24,000”.
Number in Series: 12
Identification: The cards are marked “Series B – 24,000” on the back.
History of the Series
We have a very good record of the production of this series, as the correspondence is preserved in the Archives Office of Tasmania [1] [2].
Walch & Sons in Hobart retained an agent in London by the name of Herbert Bishop. He must have spent a high proportion of his time locating products, ordering, paying and arranging shipping for Walch’s. He wrote a lengthy letter to Walch’s in Hobart every fortnight.
This series of cards, and later coloured cards up to the start of the First World War, were printed by C.G. Röder, of Leipzig, Germany. The London agent for Röder was a Mr. Holdsworth, who was a friend of Herbert Bishop's and had his business office in the same building.
Jul 12, 1904 Herbert Bishop wrote to Holdsworth:
I send you herewith 12 Tasmanian Views hand coloured size 5⅜″x 3½″ and 12 silver prints of the same views 5″x6″ also a roll of half tone impressions of the same views.
Shot Tower Brown’s River Road
Franklin Square, Hobart
Silver Falls
Cape Raoul
Fern Tree Bower
Government House, Hobart
Murray and Macquarie Streets Hobart
Cascades, Hobart
Hobart Wharves
Elizabeth Street, Hobart
Mount Wellington, from Huon Road
River Derwent near New Norfolk
The post cards when printed and trimmed to measure not less than 5½ x 3½ inches and must be good quality cards.
The names of the views to be printed in the centre and at the bottom of the views. The imprint J. Walch & Sons Hobart at the bottom left hand corner; and in the bottom right hand corner the word Sirius very small indeed. See the hand coloured views for right position of lettering on post cards. No other lettering to be on the cards the view side. On the front of cards please print:-
Post Card. – Tasmania
The address only to be written on this side
Please forward the cards to your printers and get their opinion on them. It is possible the views may nor be coloured well enough to produce perfect work in 3-color.
The query is will they turn out more satisfactory done by the Photochrome process or the three-color process. Could you get the silver prints or the half-tone cards we send you very well coloured.
We want the very best work & if this cannot be done from our views we will get others made.
So Bishop sent three versions of the cards to the printer:
1. Hand coloured postcards. These were from the 1904 Wide Series, printed by letterpress from halftone blocks and coloured by hand to show the printer the colours required.
2. Silver prints; ie, ordinary b&w photographic prints of the same views.
3. A roll of half-tone impressions. This was another copy of the 1904 Wide Series cards.
On July 29, 1904 Bishop wrote to Walch’s in Hobart:
Colored photos received I have to report upon. The German printers tell me that they cannot produce good work from these photos as the coloring is too crude They are however making a coloured drawing of one or two views and will submit a proof to give me a quotation. Not a moment is being lost but I might tell you that their coloured postcards take a fearful time and the printers won’t promise to deliver under about 10 weeks.
On August 11, 1904 Bishop wrote to Holdsworth again, cancelling the previous instructions. He must have received instructions from Walch’s in Hobart.
Referring to our letter of July 12 please note the following alterations:-
The views to be thoroughly well painted for first class Three-colour work before proceeding to make plates. The colours of the figures in the streets the trancars & etc can be altered to produce better pictures.
The views to be printed in sheets containing 12 with margins between each for cutting and trimming. No lettering whatever wanted back and front as this will be done in Hobart to avoid the duty.
Invoice the process blocks separately. Invoice the cards as “Pictures in colour of Tasmanian scenery”.
Good quality cards must be supplied. Query price for 2000 full sheets. Query price for 3000 full sheets?
There was import duty levied in Tasmania on imported postcards, but not on imported pictures. So Walch’s had the printer send the cards in uncut sheets, without anything printed on them. Walch’s then cut them up and printed the caption on the front, and all the form on the back. But the printer did print one thing on the cards – their printer’s number, in green. A look at the back of the cards will show everything printed in black, except for the printers number, in small green type.
On August 12, 1904, Bishop wrote to Walch’s in Hobart again:
Not a moment is being lost but I can clearly see that you won’t get them by October for I have only just seen one or two of the specially painted views for reproduction which I must say look splendid. The foreign firms are so full of work that they simply won’t bind themselves to times. Some firms here are so sick of delays & consequent loss of trade that they won’t have any work done outside England preferring to pay a higher price.
On September 3, 1904 Bishop wrote to Walch’s in Hobart again:
Post cards: I fear great delay with your order I am sorry to say. I gave the order to Mr Holdsworth in this building who represents good printing firms on the continent – he does a lot of business with the Xmas card houses here. Well if anyone would have nursed the order … Holdsworth would have as I have done a lot with him. He duly placed my order with one of his best firms and I waited and waited for proofs that did not come and after having the job in hand weeks I began to feel anxious and my friend Holdsworth candidly told me that he was sure his printer …..
On November 4, 1904 Bishop wrote to Walch’s in Hobart again:
I am glad to report that they are about ready for shipment and … hope they will be in time to catch the next steamer to Hobart – “Ionic” – I will post some samples as soon as received.
On 11 November 1904 there was better news:
Post Cards from C.G. Röder Leipzig have just been invoiced and I am posting you one each of the 12 kinds ordered. I expect they will be in time for the S/S “Ionic” . This boat is closing a day earlier than usual and is sailing from Tilbury Dock instead of Royal Albert Docks.
The cards went on sale in Hobart in February, 1905. Walch’s announced them on the front page of Walch’s Literary Intelligencer of February 1905. The price was 2d each or 2/- per dozen, post free.
References
[1] Archives Office of Tasmania NS2857 Letters from the London Office
[2] Archives Office of Tasmania NS2870 Copies of invoices and orders to suppliers in England
