Postcard Mania

Raphael Tuck and Sons

Written by admin on 23 August, 2009 – 11:57 am -

Raphael Tuck was born August 7, 1821 in Koschmin, a small village in Eastern Prussia (now Poland). In 1848 he married Ernestine Lissner. In 1864 the outbreak of the Second Schleswig War lead to the decision to leave Prussia. Raphael went to London in 1865 and found work and housing. Ernestine and their seven children soon followed.

In 1866 the Tucks opened a small shop on Union Street selling prints and frames. The small shop soon flourished, with Ernestine carrying out the role of business administrator, whilst Raphael provided the creative flair.

In 1869 they moved to larger premises in 177 City Road and sons Herman, Adolph (30 January 1854 – 3 July 1926) and Gustave joined the business. In addition to selling and framing prints, they also started to publish lithographs, chromolithographs and all kind of printed novelties.

By 1870 the contribution of the three sons to the business success was obvious. Adolph assisted his father, whilst Gustave and Herman were adroit salesmen.

Christmas Cards

In 1871 Raphael Tuck published his first Christmas cards. In 1879 the young Adolph Tuck offered prizes of a total of 500 guineas to design new Christmas cards. Thousand of designs were submitted and were judged by members of the Royal Academy. Newspapers around the world reported the enormous success. Suddenly, it seemed that the name Raphael Tuck was known worldwide. Christmas cards were in common use thereafter.

In 1880 the Company registered the trademark of the “Easel and Palette” along with the inscription “The World Art Service”. From 1881 the Company name was officially “Raphael Tuck and Sons”, but Raphael and Ernestine retired at that time. The Company expanded further, moving to 72/73 Coleman Street in the City of London and opening a branch in Chiswell Street.

Ernestine Tuck died in 1885. In the same year the Company was formed into a “private Limited Company” with Adolph as managing director and Herman and Gustave as co-directors. Adolph Tuck was the company's driving force – constantly looking for new artists and new ideas. In 1895 he again offered prizes, this time especially for amateur writers and painters. There were more than four thousand prizes in money and “judges' diplomas” for the winners of the different groups. Again, members of the Royal Academy judged. This time, there were about 10,000 competition entries.

In 1893 Queen Victoria granted the Company her “Warrant of Appointment” in recognition of the publishing of her letter to the nation on the death of the Duke of Clarence. Every reigning head would later honour the Company at least once.

Postcards

Adolph Tuck was a pioneer in the UK postcard industry. Tuck's Oilette cards were a very high quality product, looking just like a real oil painting. In 1894, when the Post Office first allowed postcards to be sent in the UK, Tuck issued his first picture postcard, with a small picture of Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in the upper left corner. By 1900, Tuck and Sons offered 40,000 different picture post cards.

Adolph was one of the main protagonists in the campaign for postcards to measure five and a half by three and a half inches. For a number of years the Post Office stuck to its guns and insisted that cards should be no larger than four and a half by three and a half. Tuck produced the first larger view cards in November 1899 when the Post Office relented and allowed full size cards to be posted in Great Britain. From 1902, the postcard finally evolved into its current format as the address and message were finally allowed to be printed on the same side of the card thus leaving the maximum area for illustrations.

In 1898, the company's first numbered series was produced - 12 lithographed vignette views of London. The Tower of London was number 1 in the series. In April 1898 Raphael Tuck laid the foundation stone for “Raphael House” which was opened June 6 1899. Tuck died in 1900, aged 79.

In 1900, the first US office was opened in New York, whilst in 1901 Raphael Tuck and Sons became a public Company, its Board of Directors consisting of Adolph Tuck, Chairman and Managing Director, Gustave Tuck, Vice Chairman and Director, and Herman Tuck. It also included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes series. Furthermore, Reginald (8 July 1883 – 12 May 1954) and Desmond, sons of Adolph and Jeannette Tuck, also joined the Company. In 1910 Adolph Tuck was created a Baronet of the United Kingdom – Sir Adolph Tuck.

At the start of World War I, Reginald Tuck joined the army and Desmond volunteered for overseas service, serving in the French Air Force, and subsequently in the Royal Flying Corps and the RAF. The war also saw the seizure of the Company's German assets. In July 1926 Sir Adolph Tuck died, having just overseen the last big success of the Tuck Company – Valentine's Cards.

WWII – London Blitz

In December 1940 at the height of the Blitz, Raphael House was completely destroyed. Desmond Tuck was able to rescue a small number of items, including the framed Royal Warrant of Appointment. Amongst the other things rescued were a catalogue of the oldest Tuck products, a booklet with the results of the 1894 literary and painting competition, an April 5, 1898 issue of The Times and the Daily Telegraph, some greeting cards and periodicals and a hand written Company history up to 1898, by Adolph Tuck.

Things were never quite the same after WWII, Reginald (now Sir Reginald) died in 1954 and his son Bruce inherited the title of baronet but soon left the Company. Desmond Tuck was the last Tuck in the Company. He stimulated the Company with all his flair and energy. After he retired in 1959 the Company changed hands several times. The quality of their printing was never at issue, but somehow, the former magic had deserted Raphael Tuck and Sons Ltd.

Sources / more information:

www.henrywimbush.co.uk

www.tuck.puzzlehistory.info

www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk

www.angeltowns.com

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