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 ?
L - PUBLISHERS
Labayen & Laborde 1903-
Agintari Street, Toulouse, Spain
This art publishing house produced advertising material, illustrated books, posters, and artist signed postcards. They employed chromolithography to create much of their early work though many cards were also made in sepia.
J.A. Labbie (1910-1929)
Boothbay Harbor, ME
A photographer who published real photo postcards of his work. He captured scenes of the mid-Maine coast, especially of the Boothbay Harbor region and Monhegan Island.
Lakeside Press (1889-1911)
Portland, ME
These printers briefly published black & white view-cards of Maine in line block halftone.
Lamport & Holt 1845-1991
Liverpool, England
W.L. Lamport and George Holt founded this shipping company in 1845, which by 1865 had established the Liverpool, Brazil and River Plate Steam Ship Navigation Company. Trips were made to New York with cargos of coffee and frozen meat followed by regular passenger service to Brazil by 1902. In 1911 the company was sold to Sir Owen Philipps (Lord Kylsant) but it was in receivership by 1930. A new Lamport & Holt Line began in 1934 only to be purchased by the Vestrey Group (Blue Star Line) ten years later. The Lamport & Holt name continued until 1991 when they sold their last ship. They published a number of lithographic postcards depicting their ships over many years of service.
Lamson Studio (1891-1906)
Portland, ME
They sold hand colored photographs of coastal schooners and views of the Portland area. Many images were turned into black & white heliotype postcards that were printed in Germany. The business was sold to the Fred Thompson Art Company.
Landeker & Brown (1903-1906)
Worship Street, London, England
A fine art publisher that produced postcards of various topics in series. These postcards in halftone lithography were produced under the Elanbee Series trademark. While designed in England they were printed in Bavaria and Vienna.
Hugo Lang & Co., Ltd. (1901-1931)
14 Church Street, Liverpool, and Birmingham, England
A framer and fine art dealer who published postcards depicting ships and local views. Though many of these postcards in black & white and color lithography were manufactured in England under the Lang’s Series name, he was also an important importer of cards from both Europe and the United States.
Samuel Langdorf & Co. (1906-1918)
67 Crosby Street, New York, NY
Published black & white and elaborately tinted halftone postcards. They are most noted for their cards with highly decorative borders incorporating motiffs such as alligators. These cards were printed in Germany.
Franz Landgraf (1915-1936)
Zwickau, Saxony
A publisher of photo-chromolithographic and monotone postcards. They produced many cards on military themes during the First World War.
I. Lapina & Co. (1914-1927)
Paris, France
A publisher of books, posters, and postcards. They favored artist drawn cards and also produced many art reproductions with gold borders.
E. Le Deley (1900-1930)
Paris, France
Photographer Ernest Louis Desire Le Deley was a major publisher of heliotype postcards around a wide variety of subjects from art cards to views of France and North Africa, and propaganda. The Deley family were well known throughout France for their publishing work. Deley produced a noted set of black & white postcards documenting the Western Front of the First World War. While most of these images were reproduced photographically there were also cards of illustrated battle scenes. These cards were printed with both French and English text to appeal to the many British but especially American soldiers fighting in France. Many of these cards were printed after the war. The firm went bankrupt in 1930.
H. Laas & Pécaud & Co. 1860-1910
Paris, France
An important publisher of fine chromolithographic posters, trade cards, and postcards.
Lanneau’s Art Store (1920-1931)
238 King Street, Charleston, SC
This frame shop was typical of the many small businesses that supplied postcards to the public. They published a large amount of cards depicting local views, especially of the nearby gardens that had become popular tourist destinations. Most of their cards were printed and hand colored by the Albertype Company.
Latapi & Bert (1903-1922)
Mexico City, Mexico
Publishers of Mexican views and historical scenes in black & white and tinted collotype.
Frederic Laugier (1928-1937)
Nice, France
This photographer published many view-cards of southern France and North Africa. as black & white, sepia, and tinted collotpes.
Lautz & Jsenbeck (1895-1904)
Darmstadt, Germany
This firm was set up to be fine art chromolithographic printers. They also produced many high quality Gruss aus cards.
F. Le Bon (1877-1903)
Ostend, Belgium
This photographer captured many scenes around the beach resort of Ostend producing hand colored photographs and cabinet cards. At the turn of the century he began turning many of these images into black & white collotype postcards, some with hand coloring.
R. Lederbergen (1898-1953)
Halbertstadt, Germany
A large publisher of view-cards, from ornate chromolithographs to tinted halftones. They also produced real photo postcards.
C. Ledermann, Jr. (1899-1909)
Vienna, Austria
A publisher of holiday cards and collotype view-cards. They were often printed in high contrast and hand colored in sweeping patterns giving them a more mannered look than similar cards of the period.
P. Ledermann (1910-1919)
Vienna, Austria
A publisher of black & white and chromolithographic view-cards of Austria. Their cards have a rich look to them despite their simple pallet.
Leeland Art Co. 1890’s-1939
Mitchell, SD
Published real photo postcards from the work of photographer Ole S. Leeland, better known as just O.S. Leeland. He captured many scenes of ordinary life on the American prairie. Leeland had fun with many of his cards creating subtle visual narratives, many comic in nature.
Leet Brothers (1898-1911)
Washington, DC
These photographers not only had the local views they captured printed as postcards, they also produced a series of cards on U.S. Presidents and on woman’s suffrage. These cards were printed in Great Britain as tinted halftones in line block. Many of these cards had very wide borders with a false plate mark.
Lehnert & Landrock 1904-
Tunis, Tunisia and Cairo, Egypt
When Austrian photographer Rudolf Franz Lehnert met Ernst Heinrich Landrock in Switzerland in 1904 he so impressed him with the images he captured in Tunisia the previous year that they decided to go into business together. They opened a shop in Tunis that same year with Landrock as manager. Here they sold stereo-views and printed postcards of their photos. While some lithographic cards were in color they are best remembered for their cards in a deep reddish sepia photogravure. They produced a great body of work depicting scenes of ordinary street life and types. When World War One broke out in 1914, their shop and glass plates were confiscated by French authorities. Landrock was in Austria at the time but Lehnert was arrested and interned in Corsica.
Lehnert and Landrock did not meet up again until 1920. After the war, Landrock found himself a citizen of the new Czechoslovakia, which was an ally of France, and he managed to get their old photo plates returned. Lehnert was now photographing nudes for the Jouret Studio in Algiers so it was not until 1924 that the old partners agreed to set up the Orient Art Publishing House in Cairo. Here they continued their old tradition of publishing postcards in a sepia gravure but they also produced a variety of phroto-chromolithographic cards in bright colors. Many of these views continued to depict life on the street but more images capturing the vast solitude of the desert began to be seen. Images of Palestine and Syria were added to their Egyptian inventory. In 1930 Lehnert returned to work as a portrait photographer in Tunis having sold his share of the business to Landrock who continued to manage the store. As the prospect of another exile loomed on the eve of World War Two, Landrock retired to Germany passing the store down to his Swiss stepson Kurk Lambelet in 1939. Their Sherif Street shop continues to exist as a source of guide books and related materials but has not published any postcards since Landrock fled Egypt. It has been speculated that many of Lehnert’s glass plate negatives were destroyed by Allied bombing raids, though many have been used to create images for contemporary exhibitions.
The Hugh C. Leighton Co. 1906-1909
Portland, ME
A printer and major publisher of national view-cards, especially scenes of New England. They printed most of their cards in four distinct styles usually employing tinted halftones. Most of their cards had a subdued but recognizable pallet. While some cards were printed at their plant in the U.S. most were manufactured in Frankfort, Germany. Almost all their cards were numbered. They merged with Valentine & Sons in 1909.
Another set of cards, also printed as tintedhalftones were designed to produce a wider gamut of bright optical hues from the same pallet. Their titles appear in bright red.
A very distinct card set was printed in photo-chromolithography with a very limited pallet, dominating orange, and a matte finish. The intensity of coloring on these cards can vary widely, which renders some very beautiful while other copies of the same image can be extremely garish. This technique only seems to have been used on view-cards of southern Maine.
Other techniques were employed as well including collotypes and some hand colored cards but these can only be found in small numbers.
Leighton’s name also appears on some very distinct tinted collotypes with a very fine grain that are similar to many other postcards that only carry the names of small publishers on them. They can be traced however through the serial number back to being printed by Stengel & Co. in Dresden. It is however possible that Leighton acted as jobber between the printer and smaller local customers.
Leighton & Valentine 1910-1914
Portland, ME, Dundee, Scotland, Brooklyn, NY
Formed by the merger of the Hugh C. Leighton Company with Valentine & Sons, and Sackett & Wilhelms. Their cards were printed in the tinted halftone style of Valentine & Sons. Some of their white border cards were printed in continuous tone lithography. All these cards were printed in the United States.
Max Leipelt (1911-1930)
Prague, Czechoslovakia
A publisher of postcards dwpicting views and local types in tinted halftone.
Leipzig Mission 1846-
Leipzig, Saxony
Missionaries who published an bi-monthly magazine called the Evangelisch-Lutherisches Missionblatt. After arriving in German East Afrika in 1893 images of these land and people began to be used as illustrations for this publication. Eventually they began publishing real photo postcards to help fund their work and they became the best source for views of Tanzania just before and after the First World War.
Le Moine & Malmestrom (1902-1908)
Goteborg, Sweden
A publisher of greetings, fantasy postcards and views in chromolithography with a simple pallet.
Hch. Lenz (1905-1913)
Wiesbaden, Germany
A fine art publisher that produced black & white and tinted collotype postcards, mostly of local views.
Lenz & Rudolff (1897-1910)
Riga, (Russian Latvia)
A publisher of art reproductions and black & white and color view-cards in a variety of techniques.
Leo of Pradot (mid 1920’s)
Paris, France
A photo studio that published many types of real photo postcards. They are especially noted for the large amount of nudes they produced. There bromide cards were manufactured by A. Lochard & Co. in Paris.
A. Leroy & R. Cremieu (1920’s)
Paris, France
A publisher of artist signed postcards, many with erotic content. They sometimes used the work of well known artist such as Raphael Kichner for there cards. They produced their cards through the tricolor process, which they referred to as Trichromie artistique.
F.H. Leslie, Ltd. (1913-1948)
Niagara Falls, Canada
After moving to Niagara Falls in 1904 Frank Howard Leslie purchased a daily newspaper and put it out as the Niagara Falls Review. As time went on he saw the potential in postcards and became a printer and wholesaler of them and guidebooks as well. These were mostly published as regional view-cards and roadside cards in black & white and tinted halftone, though he issued real photo cards as well. His son W. Bruce Leslie ran his newspaper after his death until it closed in 1973, but he did not publish any postcards.
M. Levin (1938-1942)
Baltimore, MD
A publisher of linen local view-cards manufactured in the United States by various printers.
Levy Brothers (1909)
2277 Broadway, New York, NY
These stationers published local black & white view-cards that were printed in in Germany.
Levy & Neurdein Reunis 1920-1932
Rue Letellier, Paris, France
A collaborative photo agency between the two well known French photo studios of Levy Sons & Co. and Neurdein Freres. While both studios now issued postcards together, a separate photo credit was still sometimes provided by placing the photographers initials on the front of the card but no logo was used.
Their lithographic cards were printed in very bright continuous tones that eventually became so colorful they no longer carried any illusions of depicting reality. This trend was continued on a series of hand colored real photo cards, mostly views of Paris, where the color was applied in a mannered rather than realistic way, which was the fashion of the times. In 1932 they were incorporated into the Alsation Photomechanical Arts Company (CAP).
Levy Sons & Co. 1895-1919
Paris, France and London, England
In 1864 the Parisian photographic studio of Ferrier pere, fils & Soulier was bought out and became M. Leon & J. Levy. This partnership lasted until 1872 when Leon left and it was renamed J. Levy & Co., which became an important producer of stereo-views and lantern slides. By 1895 his sons had joined the company and it was renamed once again to Levy Sons & Co. (or Levy et ses Fils). His son Lucien became a well known photographer who began publishing international view-cards from his own work depicting scenes mostly from within the French empire, though quite a number are from England and there are some from Australia and Russia as well. There are few French towns that are not captured by his cards. His name does not appear on the cards but - L.L. follows the title as a photo credit. Many of their cards are not atributed. These cards were printed as colotypes in black & white, sepia, and over speckled color lithography. In 1920 the studio united with Neurdein Freres to become Levy & Neurdein reunis. Their negatives are now owned by the Roger-Viollet Photographic Agency.
Lucien Levy photographed a good number of artwork, sespecially stonework that were reproduced as black & white postcards but the firm also issued monochrome cards that were artist drawn.
Max Levy Co. 1872-
Philadelphia, PA
Founded in Baltimore, the business moved to Philadelphia in 1877 changing its name to the Levytype Company. It was here that they developed the photo engraving process called Levytype and the Levy line screen. In 1900 they changed their name to the Graphics Arts Company and began printing and publishing operations. Since 1984 they have been known as Levy Autograph, Inc.
Karl Lewis 1901-1942
136D Honmura, Yokohama, Japan
After an early life at sea Lewis settled down in Yokohama and began a new life as a photographer. From his studio he sold real photo postcards, many of which were hand colored. He photographed the Great White Fleet when it visited Japan in 1908. Many of his cards were comic in nature and featured naval themes as this was an important port of call for the U.S. Navy. Writing on his cards appeared in English for American sailors were no doubt a large portion of his customers. After expanding into printing he began publishing many of his own images as lithographic postcards. As his artistic ambitions grew he began turning out postcards with photomontage, and by the 1930’s Lewis created many hand painted covers with Japanese themes. During the Second World War Japanese authorities arrested him as a spy. He was not held long but he died six months after his release.
Lichtenstern & Harari 1902-1912
Cairo, Egypt
Joseph Max Lichtenstern moved to Egypt from Vienna in 1893 and took up permanent residence there in 1897. In 1899 he began publishing postcards under the name, Cairo Postcard Trust, but also issued black & white postcards under his own name. Two years later he teamed up with David Harari to form an importing business. They would also take up the publishing of postcards. Between 1904 and 1908 they seem to have taken on another partner, changing their name to Lichtenstern, Harari & Co., but they continued to use their original name, Lichtenstern & Harari on postcards. After Harari left in 1912 the firm was sold to Max H. Rudman, who had been a publisher from at least 1905. Lichtenstern continued to have some business dealings with Rudman, but after he returned to Vienna in 1914 for a visit, he ended up serving in the Austrian Army for the duration of World War One. There was a continuing relationship between this firm and the Cairo Postcard Trust but the specifics are uncertain.
David Lional Press (1930-1946)
312 S Hamilton Avenue, Chicago, IL
A publisher of books and black & white and linen postcards depicting regional scenes. They are however best known for being a large producer of match covers.
G. Lips (1906)
Montreux, Switzerland
A publisher of monochrome and black & white collotype view-cards, some with hand coloring.
Lipscher Specialty Co. (1909-1914)
320 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA
A publisher of tinted halftone postcards depicting many views around New Orleans.
Litho In U.S.A. 1920’s
New York, NY?
A major printer of all types of lithographic material including postcards for a number of different publishers.
Livermore & Knight 1892-1910
New York, NY
A publisher of holiday and color advertising cards. Best known for their innovative novelty cards. These cards were printed by the Arabol Manufacturing Company.
Arthur Livingston 1897 - 1907
New York, NY
A stationer that eventually began to publishing cards depicting warships, regional views and comics. Livingston’s first cards depicted scenes of New York City printed in black & white halftone lithography, some of which he later reprinted as fuller images in color. His comic cards were always printed in color. He also produced regional view-cards as monotone colotypes. Livingston had anticipated the Private Mail Act of 1898 and had begun to print cards with private malling card backs before they were officially authorized. His early pioneer cards were later reprinted with private mailing cards backs, and even later with post card backs.
August Loeffler (1880’s-1907)
Tompkinsville, NY
A photographer who published real photo postcards of his own work and contributed images to cards depicting the Catskills and New York City that were printed by other publishers. He also produced many stereoview cards of the Catskill Mountains.
Lollosgard Specialty Co. (1940’s-1950’s)
Tucson, AZ
A distributor of postcards depicting the American Southwest, especially cards produced by Curt Teich and Frasher’s.
London Stereoscopie Co. Ltd. (1900-)
106-8 Regent Street, London, England
A publisher of finely made collotype postcards issued under the Lesco Series name. They also produced many real photo view-cards. Noted for their cards depicting cathedrals. These cards were made in Great Britain.
Long Island News (1905-1916)
Flushing, NY
A local distributor of postcards for the American News Company. They also published many view-cards of Long Island and Queens County, New York predominantly as poly-chromes.
Longshaw Card Co. (1930’s-1957)
Pasadena, CA
A publisher of linen postcards founded by Harry Lowe Longshaw, a former card salesman for the E.F. Clement Company. Longshaw mostly produced view-cards of southern California including movie star homes and a good number of pinups as well. Many of these cards are noted for their bright orange borders. There is much retouching on their cards giving many a poorly drawn look. While they later produced some higher quality greeting cards they could not compete with cheaper cards and they were forced to close in 1957. Most of their cards were manufactured by the Mission Engraving Company with whom they shared a building on San Pedro Street. Their Mirachrome series, introduced around 1950 were printed by the H.S. Crocker Company.
Hermann Lorch (1908-1932)
Dortmund, Germany
A publisher of sepia toned collotype view-cards, many with hand coloring. Some of his views displayed untypical industrial settings.
Robert H. Lord (1913-1918)
Boston, MA
Lord published his own original short rhyming mottos on postcards with large decorative borders. They were generally printed in color line block utilizing a flat Arts & Crafts style. Lord had previously written verse for other card companies.
Lord Baltimore Press 1907-1956
Baltimore, MD
In 1875 Isaac Frienwald began working as a printer for Weisenfeld & Co. He left in 1875 to form his own firm, the Friedenwald Company. By 1907 they had grown to become one of the largest lithographers and bookbinders in the region. It was then that they changed their name to Lord Baltimore Press, and they moved to a new larger factory on Greenmount Avenue in 1908. They were the first company to use the Mergenthaler linotype machine for the printing of books. They also printed a number of lithographic products that included postcards. In 1956 they were bought up by International Paper but they continued to use their old name. In 1972 they were merged into Mulusan Label and now print cartons and labels.
Daniel Low & Co. (1867-1923)
Salem, MA
A silversmith and jewelry shop that became well known for their finely crafted silver products. They produced a witch spoon that contributed to the silver spoon craze in the 1890’s. During the first decade of the 20th century they began publishing crudely colored line block haftone on glossy paper postcards to sell from their shop.
Edward Lowey (1897-1910)
New York, NY
Published chromolithographic scenes of New York City with highly decorative borders. Other cards were printed in black & white, including many depictions of ships. He also published embossed greeting cards. These cards were printed in Germany.
Lowman & Hanford Stationary & Printing Co. 1898-
Seattle, WA
Publisher of books, greeting cards, and view-cards depicting scenes from Washington State and Alaska.
Lubrie & Elkins (1910)
New York, NY
An important publisher of art and holiday postcards. They produced all the postcards holding H.B. Griggs illustrations.
J. Ludwigsohn (1901-1910)
Piaca Karnkeny, Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey
A publisher of black & white and dutone collotype postcards and souvenir books depicting regional views and types of the Ottoman Empire and Greece.
Felix Luib (1899-1906)
Strassburg, Germany
An art publisher who produced a number of different postcard types as tinted heliotypes. These cards range from early gruss aus and coverage of the Boer War to mechanical novelties.
Lumitone Press Photoprint (1928-1958)
New York, NY
Published highly stylized view-cards in tinted halftone lithography with a dull flat pallet. Many of their cards were produced as dutones. In the 1930’s they published a Colorpoeme series reproducing the views of New York created by artist Pierre Trapier. They are one of the few American publishers to exhibit a distinct Art Deco influence on their early graphics. These postcards were printed in the United States.
R. Luterman (1898)
St. Petersburg, Russia
One of the first publishers of chromolithographic picture postcards in Russia. Noted for their many view-cards illustrated by the artist Nikolay Karazin.
