A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ?

H - PUBLISHERS    page 1

W. de Haan   (1905-)
Utrecht, Holland

An important publisher of fine illustrated books and postcards. They produced a variety of chromolithographic cards but are best known for their artist signed pieces, especially by Cassiers and Rie Cramer.

H.W. Haberman   (1923-1929)
Brooklyn, NY

A publisher of local view-cards that were issued under various trade names. His output included Real Photo-Grafic Views, Haberman’s New York Views, and packaged sets of 25 cards for Woolworths. He is also associated with cards issued as Lumitone Photoprint but it is uncertain if he owned this company or if it was a process he used.

Wolff Hagelburg   (1866-1934)
New York, NY and Berlin, Germany

An early publisher and printer of lithographic materials including fine art books, greeting cards, and postcards. Noted for their many intricate die cut designs. They were one of the first printers to manufacture hold to light cards.

The H. Hagemeister Co.   (1907-1916)
New York, NY

Published monotone and black & white collotypes and many hand colored view-cards with a simple but bold RGB pallet. While most of their postcards depict scenes of greater New York City some cards were made of regional and foreign views as well. While most of their cards are consecutively numbered, they also printed some unnumbered cards for other publishers in the same style as their own. All these cards were printed in Germany.

G. Hagens   (1926-1938)
Hammerfest, Norway

A photographer of local scenes and Types. He published his work in black & white printed cards and as real photo postcards, some of which were hand colored.

Albert Hahn   (1901-1919)
229 Broadway, New York, NY

Published hand colored collotype view-cards of New York, especially of the Catskill Mountains. Their cards were printed in Germany.

George P. Hall & Son   1876-1914
212 Broadway, New York, NY

Photographers of marine scenes and New York City. They published many of their photographs as black & white and tinted collotype postcards.

Ross Hall   1931-1990
Sandpoint, ID

The scenic photographer Ross Alvin Hall left Texas in 1931 to assist in running the Himes Studio in Idaho. Hall purchased the Himes Studio in 1938 where he began selling his own real photo postcards. Within ten years 38 million cards had been sold.

Hall Brothers   1911-
Kansas City, MO

After some success in selling packets of postcards in 1910 Joyce Clyde Hall set ub his own distribution business the following year. By 1912 his brother Rollie jouned him and they began printing greeting cards as they saw the postcard market failing. All their inventory was lost to a fire in 1915 but they recovered and continued publishing. In 1917 they invented gift wrapping and they became the first company to advertise cards on a national basis. These inovations helped them capture half of the greeting card market. They changed the Company name to Hallmark in 1928. Even though their focus was on folded greetings they continued to publish sets of souvenir cards.

Hamburg Amerika Linie   1847-1970
Hamburg, Germany

Originally a shipping line between Hamburg and Hoboken, New Jersey. Soon afterwards they established passenger service to Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans and other distant ports including Canada. Their docks in Hoboken became a major entrant point for both immigrants and German printed postcards. In 1900 this facility suffered a disastrous fire that was captured by many local photographers who turned these images into postcards. The Hamburg Line published many fine chromolithographic cards themselves over the years depicting scenes aboard their ships but mostly of the ships themselves. At the beginning of World War One they owned 149 vessels but most ended up being confiscated by belligerent powers. In 1920 they became part of the American Ship and Commerce Line, then merged with Norddeutschar Lloyd to become Hapag-Lloyd.

Harry H. Hamm   (1907-1923)
Erie, PA

Publisher of view-cards of the Great Lakes region, especially around Ohio.

V. O. Hammon Publishing Co.   1900-1923
215 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL and Minneapolis, MN

A major publisher of tricolor view-cards of the Great Lakes region. They also published novelty cards. Most of their cards tend to have a distinct look as they were printed in crisp RGB colors with small red block lettering.

Kyoto Hanga-in   1935-1988
Kyoto, Japan

A publisher of woodblock prints re-cut from earlier ukiyo-e (floating world) images. These prints were often sold in portfolios and when they were reproduced as postcards they were also often sold in sets.

They also published postcards by contemporary Japanese artists such as the noted set from the early 1950’s depicting the American Occupation.

Byron Harmon   late 1890’s-1942
Banff, AB Canada

Harmon arrived in Alberta in 1903 as an itinerant photographer after leaving his portrait studio in Tacoma, Washington. By 1906 He had become a founding member and official photographer of the Alpine Club of Canada. He took over 6,400 photographs while exploring the Canadian Rockies and the Selkirks. In 1907 Harmon began turning many of these photographs into real photo postcards, which became his principal life’s work. In 1924 he traveled into the Rockies with the photographer Lewis R. Freeman. Some of the real photo postcards produced under Harmon’s name from this trip may actually be the work of Freeman that he published for him. After this trip Harmon mostly produced scenes alongside railway lines. He also distributed printed color postcards made from his photos that were manufactured in the United States.

William James Harris   1886-1940
St. Augustine, FL

Harris, the Post Card Man, began selling card photos from his parent’s home in Pennsylvania in 1886. From there he became an itinerant photographer capturing many scenes in the mid-Atlantic region including New York. He was especially known for his bold sunsets. His name became well known after he took the first photo of a ferris wheel at the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago, making his work more marketable. In 1898 he made his first visit to the wealthy resort of Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey where he set up a floating studio called the Harris Photo Float. Although the studio sank in 1903 destroying most of his work, he continued to spend his summers there producing many real photo postcards. In the same year that he came to Lake Hopatcong, he wintered in St. Augustine setting up the Acme View Company to market his Florida photos. Harris had been making real photo cards since 1901 and by 1905 he was beginning to hand color them. Although he produced local town views, many of his images were of generic scenery filled with the stuffed egret or alligator he carried with him. After joining the St. Augustine Historical Society he made many dubious historic claims on places he photographed to better increase his sales. He divided his year between Florida and New Jersey producing real photo postcards of both until 1915 when he gave up the postcard format.

Hartford News Co.   (1910-)
Hartford, CT

A local publisher and distributor of postcards for the American News Company.

Emil Hartmann   (1901-1939)
Mannheim, Germany

A publisher of real photo, black & white, monochrome, and color view-cards. They produced a series of front line views during the First World War. Some of their cards seem to have been printed in color with additional hand coloring.

Frederick Hartmann   1902-1909
45 Farringdon Street, London, England

A publisher of postcards as fine tinted halftones. While most of his cards covered views from all over Great Britain, he also produced cards on various other subjects many of which were artist signed. In addition to having his cards printed in Saxony, he imported many glamour cards from the Continent as well. He was the British distributor of postcards for Trenkler & Company. Hartmann was a strong advocate of the divided back postcard and was instrumental to its establishment in England. Hartman may have issued the world’s first divided back card.

J.V. Hartman & Co.   (1910-1920)
Boston, MA

Hartman was a photographer that published his images of New England views as monochrome and color postcards.

Hartman Card Co.   (1907-1947)
Portland, ME and St. Petersburg, FL

A publisher of comic and view-cards in tinted halftone.

Hart Schaffner & Marx   1887-1983
Chicago, IL

This men’s clothing store was founded by brothers Harry and Max Hart as Harry Hart & Bros. in 1872. After Marcus Marx joined in 1879 and Joseph Schaffner in 1887 the name was changed to Hart Schaffner & Marx. Highly successful this business expanded to open many branches throughout the Country. They used postcards extensively to promote their products but not just as simple advertising cards. The published a number of artist signed view-cards with advertising placed on their backs. In 1883 they were bought out by a competitor and became the Hartmarx Corp. but they still use postcards to promote their line.

Fred Harvey Trading Co.   1897-1968
Kansas City, MO

In 1878 Fred Harvey was the first to established a chain of restaurants then hotels across the Southwest that provided quality service. Much was done to market the region including publishing large series of postcards depicting Native Americans and local scenery. In 1897 Harvey took over the news stands for the A.T.&S.F. Railroad and began distributing postcards. The Santa Fe Railroad also did a great deal to publicize its Route to the Grand Canyon. A large amount of postcards were produced depicting the canyon and the Railroad’s hotel interests within the National Park. Fred Harvey himself provided some of the images for these cards until his death in 1901. Between 1901 and 1932 the Company contracted all their cards with the Detroit Publishing Company. These cards have an H prefix before their identification number, but in addition Detroit published many of Harvey’s images on their own. After Detroit closed, many of Harvey’s cards were contracted out to Curt Teich among others.

Hatch Litho Co.   1853-1889
New York, NY

George W. Hatch, Jr., the son of an engraver, partnered with Charles Severyn in 1853 to form the lithographic printing house Hatch & Severyn. Two years latter Hatch’s brother Warner joined the firm and it was renamed Hatch & Co. They specialized in producing fine chromolithographic prints, certificates, labels and advertising, and by the mid-1870’s trade cards. In 1887 they reorganized as the Hatch Litho Co. but they were out of business by 1889.

J.G. Hatton   (1905-1911)
Mexico City, Mexico

A small publisher of Mexican view-cards and types in tinted collotype. His cards were marketed through souvenir shops.

Hauser & Menet   (1885-)
Madrid, Spain

These photographers are often accredited of producing the first picture postcards in Spain. During the beginning of the 20th century many of their photographic images were reproduced as collotype view-cards, some of which were hand colored. Postcard booklets of art reproductions were also made. They also published many books illustrated with their photos.

S.W. Hauck & Sons   (1910-1918)
Erie, PA

A publisher of local view-cards in tinted halftone, some with white borders.

Wilhelm Hawerbier   (1894-1901)
Heidelberg, Germany

An early publisher of Gruss aus cards.

William J. Hay   1902-1943
Edinburgh, Scotland

Hay opened a souvenir shop in the historic home of the Protestant reformer John Knox on the Royal Mile in 1902. A year later he had also become the custodian for the building. He published a number of local view-cards but concentrated on images that depicted the Knox house, which he sold through his shop under the Knox Series name. After he retired in 1943 his son Clement took over as custodian.

Carl Otto Hayd   (1890-1904)
Munich, Bavaria

A publisher of Gruss aus views of Europe and Palestine as well as comic cards. Many of these black & white collotypes were printed on blue paper.

J. E. Haynes Photo Co.   1894-1967
St. Paul, MN

Frank J. Haynes started taking photographs in 1876 for the Northern Pacific Railroad. By 1894 he had opened the Haynes Photo Company at Yellowstone National Park and in 1900 he started publishing stereo-views and postcards in a variety of manner. Haynes operated the Park’s coach services for a number of years, which often became a subject of his cards. He is noted for a large set of monotone oval multi-view cards depicting various scenes at Yellowstone Park. The family business was turned over to his son Jack in 1916 who continued to publish many more cards. Five years after Jack’s death in 1967, Isabel Haynes sold the business to the Hamilton Stores, Inc. (1915-2002).

William Randolph Hearst   1903-1907
San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL

Published a topical series of free cut-out postcards as color supplements included in the papers of his newspaper chain; the New York American & Journal, the American Journal Examiner, the Boston Sunday American, the Chicago American, and the San Francisco Examiner. The earliest of these cards were printed in chromolithography but about 1904 they changed to cheaper quality halftones. These cards were printed on paper, not card stock. Some early cards were also printed with German text.

Hebensperger & Co.   (1900-1916)
Riga, Latvia

A printer and publisher of view-cards depicting scenes of Latvia and Russia. These lithographic cards were printed in black & white and in heavily tinted heliotype. Many titles are bilingual. They also produced a great number of cabinet cards.

Paul Heckscher   (1900-1917)
Stockholm, Sweden

An important publisher of art reproductions, artist signed cards, black & white views, and hand colored real photos.

J. W. Heeg   (1998-1905)
Bonn, Germany

This book publisher also produced black & white and chromolithographed risqué and Gruss aus cards.

Ernest H. Heiland   (1909-1915)
356 Communipaw Avenue, Jersey City, NJ

A publisher of local view-cards in monochrome. He moved back to St. Louis in 1915.

Joseph Heim   (1890’s)
Vienna, Austria

A publisher of chromolithographs. Produced a set of artist signed view-cards by Joseph Hoffmann in 1898 depicting scenes of India.

Henry Heininger Co.   (1917-1920’s)
New York, NY

A publisher of a variety of postcard types including local view-cards, comics, Blacks, holiday, and propaganda by World War One. Their Fac-Simile Hand painted Nature Views were of course not hand colored but reproduced hand colored work in four color lithography through the use of paper grains. These cards also have a false plate mark.

H.V. Henderson   (1920-1961)
West Bathurst, NB, Canada

A photographer who captured many views of eastern Canada. He is especially noted for his scenes of the Gaspe Peninsular in Quebec. These images were turned into real photo postcards, some of which were hand colored, as well as having some images printed in black & white and color gravure. They can be found with and without borders. Many of these cards were distributed through the Canadian National Railway. Henderson also did photo processing work for others and often advertised these services on the back of his cards.

Loudolph Hensel   1875-1927
Hawley, PA

Hensel left New York City in 1866 to apprentice at a photo studio in Port Jarvis. By 1875 he began creating photographs and in 1878 he moved to Hawley, Pennsylvania where he set up his own studio. Hensel produced stereo-cards, photo booklets for tourists, real photo postcards, and was an early publisher of private malling cards in sepia. He later produced many tinted halftone view-cards of local scenes. In addition to shooting traditional landscapes he captured many images of industry.

John Hepburn   1870-1955
103 Main Street, Flushing, NY

A local publisher of postcards depicting the town of Flushing. They were sold through the Hepburn & James Pharmacy, a family business founded by Alex A. Hepburn, and many were printed through the American News Company. While William T. James, John Hepburn’s partner, is known to have documented Flushing in photographs it is uncertain if these images were used for their postcards.

Heliotype Printing Co.   1872-1908
211 Tremont Street, Boston, MA

A subsidiary of Osgood & Co., formed when Ernest Edward, the inventor of the heliograph, arrived in America from London in 1872. When Osgood & Co. went bankrupt in 1885, Edwards left and started the Photo-Gravure Company in New York. The Heliotype Company continued its printing operations, publishing maps, book illustrations, posters, and black & white and tinted view-cards of southern New England. (A different Heliotype Company Ltd. appears in Ottawa, Canada about 1917 to 1920.)

Herbco Card Co.   (1949-1965)
475 Broadway, New York, NY

A publisher of linen and photochrome view-cards and postcard folders depicting local views.

Arno Hermanos   (1920’s-1930’s)
La Paz and Cochabamba, Bolivia

A bookseller and stationer who played an important role in publishing photographic views of Bolivia as postcards in tinted collotype.