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M - PUBLISHERS    page 1

W. G. MacFarlane Publishing Co. Ltd.)   (1901-1914)
Toronto, ON Canada and Buffalo, NY

Founded by William Godsoe MacFarlane to produce picture souvenir books. Soon afterwards they went on to publish color and black & white view-cards of Canada, mostly of the Great Lakes Region, and of selective locations within the United States. They are also noted for their many cards depicting Native Americans and cowboys. Many of their early cards have very distinct graphic elements added to them.

De Macropolo & Co. Ltd.   1920-1979
Calcutta, India

A publisher of black & white and hand colored collotype postcards depicting local views and street life. Some of their cards were printed on glossy paper and they resemble hand colored photographs. They were printed in both Germany and England. By 1942 they became heavily involved in the profitable cigarette industry and were purchased by Philip Morris through Godfrey Philips in 1979.

R.H. Macy & Co.   1858-1994
New York, NY

In 1851 the Quaker Rowland Hussey Macy opened a dry goods store catering to the whalers of Haverhill, Massachusetts before moving to New York. As his new store grew into a major department store it passed through a number of owners. They were an early user of postcards to promote there business but many of these cards were not illustrated. By the 1920’s they began to open stores in other cities and took over the sponsorship of the Thanksgiving Parade in New York City. They now expanded their postcard publishing to create images of this parade for self promotion. In 1994 Macy’s merged with Federated Department Stores but the Macy name continues to be used as a brand. The R.H. Macy stores were also used as the subject of postcards created by other publishers.

Isaac L. Maduro, Jr.   (1904-1920’s)
34-46 Cathedral Square, Panama City, Panama

An important photographer of Panamanian views. Many of his images were turned into tinted collotype postcards and booklets that were sold from his souvenir store. These cards were first printed in Germany, and then later in the United States. Maduro is known for his large set of cards depicting the construction of the Panama Canal.

Maether & Co. (M. & Co.)   (1898-1919)
Nachf, Berlin, Germany and New York, NY

Publisher of International view-cards in tinted halftone. Their postcards of New York City tend to have a distinct pallet with bold red titles. They were printed in Berlin, Germany.

Mahler & Ressel   (1905-1907)
Rothenburg, Bavaria

A publisher of rotogravure postcard views in sepia and early Gruss aus cards in black & white.

Alfred Mainzer   (1933-)
Long Island City, NY

A publisher of linen and photochrome view-cards. They have been well known since the 1940’s for their Dressed Cat Series drawn by Eugen Hurtong, which are sometimes refered to as Mainzer Cats. The early cards of this series were first printed in a continuous tone by Max Kunzli of Switzerland, while their later cards were printed as tinted halftones in a variety of countries.

Otto Maisel   (1879-1909)
Boppard on Rhine, Germany

A publisher of books and postcards in Chromolithography.

Majestic Publishing Co.   1905-1950
Indianapolis, IN

A publisher of a variety of postcard genres including holiday, Indians, and trains through the tricolor process.

Major & Knapp   1863-1888
New York, NY

In 1846 Napoleon Sarony and Henry Major began their lithographic firm Sarony & Major. Joseph F. Knapp served as an apprentice there but became a partner eleven years later. Sarony, whose interests began to sway towards photography left the firm in 1863 and it was renamed Major & Knapp. For awhile they became the largest producer of sheet music, but they also printed large quantities of posters, cigar labels, and trade cards in chromolithography. As Joseph Knapp became more interested in the insurance business (he was a director of the Metropolitan Insurance Co.) his son Joseph Palmer took over more of the printing responsibilities and by 1888 the firm was renamed the Knapp Company.

Malleable Iron Range Co.   1896-1985
Beaver Dam, WI

This manufacturer of stoves and furnaces was founded in St. Louis by Silas McClure and A.C. Terrell. In 1901 they moved to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. They published both advertising cards and artist drawn postcards to publicize their line under the Monarch trademark. The Company filed for bankruptcy in 1985 as demand for their products declined.

Julian Mandel   (1920-1930’s)
Paris, France

An important photographer of the female nude. His models are often found in highly arranged classical poses. Mandel was highly influenced by the volkisch naturalist movements of Germany, that harkened back to an earlier romanticism in the face of an environment degraded by industrialization and urban sprawl. He placed many of his models in outdoor settings to tie the natural state of the nude to the purity of the land. Much of his work was turned into real photo postcards, both black & white and tinted. Though published through the studios of Alfred Noyer, Les Studios, P-C Paris, and the Neue Photographische Gesellschaft, his full name usually appears on the front of these cards.

Gustave Mandt   (1911-1920)
Lauterbach, Germany

A publishers of artist signed and photographic based tricolor postcards. While he produced many view-cards, he is best known for scenes dominated by rural life and types.

Manhattan Post Card Publishing Co.   (1928-1974)
114 Park Row, New York, NY

A publisher of continuous tone and halftone postcards from white border to photochromes. Their cards captured a variety of mid-Atlantic scenes, but most cards depict scenes of New York City.

A. Vivian Mansell & Co., Ltd.   (1910-)
Silk Street, London, England

A publisher of fine art lithographic products. They produced many advertising cards plus artist signed postcards. They are best known for their glamour cards and hunting scenes but many view-cards were produced as well. These tricolor cards were manufactured in England.

Henri Manuel   1900-1944
Paris, France

Photographers Henri Manuel and his brother Gaston set up a portrait studio in 1900, quickly expanding to become the largest photo studio in Paris. Not only were they a pioneer in fashion photography, by 1910 they had organized a division for supplying images to news agencies. After 1914 they also served as official photographers for the French government. This connection proved very useful during World War One when news from the front was highly censored. This allowed their photographers to exclusively supply images for postcard production. They also supplied a wide variety of photos of celebrities, prisons, and the risque, to postcard publishers. Nearly all of their million plus negatives were destroyed during World War Two and they never reopened. Henri Manuel died a few years later in 1947.

Marco Marcovici   (1912-1930)
Brussels, Belgium

A publisher of collotype view-cards, many of which were hand colored. During the First World War they produced many military related cards and views in sepia.

I.E. Marcus   (1898-1905)
St. Petersburg, Russia

A printer and publisher of artist signed chromolithographic postcards. Their subjects included views of Russia and Palestine plus greetings and ethnic types. Many of their cards have outstanding graphic design work incorporated into the image. Some cards can be found with perforated edges. They were printed in Russia.

Marken & Bielfeld, Inc.   (1918-1960’s)
Frederick, MD

A publisher of mid-Atlantic view-cards from tinted halftones to linens.

J.J. Marks   (1908-1912)
New York, NY.

A publisher of lithographic postcards in a Comic Series and as holiday cards.

Hermann Martin   (1899-1945)
Nuremberg, Bavaria

An early publisher of chromolithographic postcards, some of which were embossed. Later they began producing their cards in halftone lithography and as black & white collotypes which were often hand colored in a RGB pallet.

William H. Martin   1894-1912
Ottawa, KS

A photographer of Western motifs. Produced many photographs of Native Americans including mock battle scenes that were published as postcards. Martin is most noted for his photo montague exaggeration cards that he introduced in 1908. He stopped publishing postcards in 1912 to open the National Sign Company.

Martinson, Tiffany   (1918-1919)
New York, NY

Photographers who published real photo postcards with military themes during the First World War. The scenes depicted range from the front lines in France to the victory celebrations back in New York.

Mason Brothers & Co.   (1907-1917)
Boston, MA

A publisher of tricolor view-cards depicting New England, especially of the Boston area. The hues of their three color pallet often remained distinct. These cards were printed in Germany.

C. B. Mason   (1907-1926)
New Orleans, LA

A publisher of tricolor view-cards depicting scenes of New Orleans.

Matsukyu Publishing   1945-
Kyoto, Japan

This printing and publishing house was founded by the painter Tomikichiro Tokuriki after his interests became centered on woodblock printing. He cut and printed his own blocks for the production of prints and postcards. and he also produced prints by other Sosaka and Shin Hanga artists. Sales were oriented toward the American occupying force so the backs of these cards were printed in both Japanese and English.

Emil Maurach   (1899-1906)
Riga, (Russian Latvia)

A publisher of Latvian view-cards in chromolithography.

E.G. May & Sons   1878-1914
Frankfurt, Germany

The printing and publishing house of E.G. May was founded by the self taught lithographer Edward Gustave May in 1845. May was largely producing chromolithographic products by 1877 when he became heavily involved in the production of holiday cards. After retiring a year later his sons Robert and Franz took over the business and changed the companies name to E.G May & Sons. They went on to publish postcards but eventually switched to the tricolor process. When their logo was not used their cards were published under the name Egemes. In 1914 they merged with Dresdner Art Institute to become Art Institute May AG.

Mayrose Co.   (1940-1950)
Linden, NJ

A publisher of view-cards that largely depicted scenes of New Jersey, many with themes of the modern highway and bridges. While most of these cards were black & white collotypes, they produced many hand colored cards of Atlantic City.

Mayer, Merkel & Ottmann   (1875-1882)
25 Warren Street, New York, NY

A printer who produced many different items such as bank checks, maps, trade cards, and advertising cards in chromolithography. A fire in March of 1882 destroyed much of their shop in an adjacent building.

J.G. McCrory & Co.   1882-1997
New York, NY

This chain of Five & Dimes opened in New York State and Pennsylvania with a handful of outlets but grew to have 1300 stores nationwide. They published a number of picture books and postcards that were sold from their counters. These cards were not of the highest quality. They were purchased by Rapid American Holding in 1963 and the last stores closed in 1997 after years in bankruptcy.

J.A. McCulloch & Co.   (1903-)
Gorgie, Edinburg, Scotland

A publisher of sepia and tinted collotype view-cards of Scotland and Ireland. Most of these cards were based on photographs taken by C. Reid of Wishaw, and were issued inder the Caledonia Series name. Their cards were printed in both gravure and lithography in Saxony.

McDougall & Keefe   (1913-38)
Boothbay Harbor, ME

Photographers who published real photo postcards of their work depicting Maine’s mid-coast region. While their name usually appears on the back of these cards none are titled or numbered.

H. R. McGregor   (1930-1935)
Boothbay Harbor, ME

A photographer who published real photo postcards of scenes arround Boothbay Harbor in Maine.

Edwin C. McIntire   (1907-1937)
Gloucester, MA

Published view-cards of Cape Ann, Massachusetts in open halftone lithography with very crude hand coloring. The poor printing quality give some cards an almost stylish modern look.

McGown-Silsbee Litho Co.   (1913-1918)
New York, NY

Publishers of hand colored and tinted halftone view-cards depicting regional scenes. They are noted for their many uptown views of New York City.

McKay Art Co.   (1922-1957)
Missoula, MT

Barber and photographer Rollin H. Mckay produced many real photo postcards including panoramic images.

C.W. McLauthlin   (1908-1935)
Green Harbor, MA

A publisher of local view-cards that were printed in black & white, monochrome, and tinted collotype with an extra blue plate. While some cards are in continuous tones, others were printed with halftones. Many of these cards were sold out of McLauthlin’s general store.

Medici Society Ltd.   1908-
Islington, England

An important art publisher who made a discerning effort to produce products at lowest possible price to make them affordable to the widest possible audience. They began by printing sets of fine art cards in rotogravure but after the First World War they began producing tricolor greeting cards and artist signed cards by contemporary painters and illustrators. Many of their cards dealt with natural history subjects and children’s stories. They now publish a wide variety of items including reprints of their old cards. Moved to North London in 1999.

A.S. Meeker   (1908-1910)
New York, NY

A publisher of artist signed postcards in elaberate tinted halftones, many of which were embossed. Most of there cards were issued in series and dealt with holidays and romantic themes.

Ezra Meeker   1906-1928
Seattle, WA

Meeker came out West on the Oregon Trail in 1852, and in his latter years he traveled across the country in a covered wagon in efforts to raise money for monuments honoring westward migration. He published and sold postcards depicting the Oregon Trail and documentations of his travels and publicity events around the country. While these cards were made in a wide variety of techniques almost all were still poorly printed. Many of Meeker’s cards were produced in series but individual cards can be found that do not fall into the following sets.

Series A - 16 cards of the Oregon Trail.
Series B - 16 cards mostly of Indian Chiefs.
Series C - 16 cards of Meeker’s travels with hand coloring.

C. W. Megathlin   (1905-1915)
Hyannis, MA

A druggist and publisher of many view-cards depicting the Cape Cod region. These cards were manufactured by a variety of printers.

A. Megson & Son, Ltd.   (1899-1913)
Manchester, England

Stationers who published some unique view-cards of local scenes. While these cards appear to be engraved they are actually printed in collotype. Town views may have an embossed coat of arms.

Meissner & Buch   1861-1980’s
Leipzig, Saxony

This firm began in 1861 when Julius August Meissner partnered with August Buch to take over the lithography business of C.L. Bartsch & Co. that had been established in 1852. Meissner’s son, Julius Fredrich joined the firm two years later and became a partner in 1866 when his father died. He became sole proprietor after Buch left, and took many steps to modernize the company during the 1870’s. In 1885 he opened an office in London and later expanded to Berlin, Italy, France, Belgium, and New York. They were now primarily in the business of exporting Christmas cards but in 1888 they also entered the art publishing business. Their art posters and prints seem to have been sold from the Anderson Nexo Print Shop. They would print their first postcard around 1897. They became known for their high quality postcards of women, children, greetings, and views and they fetched higher prices than most cards. They became a major producer of postcards up until World War One. His two sons would join the firm, Julius Wilhelm in 1900 and Wilhelm Curt in 1909.

While Meissner & Buch had been known for their art cards in chromolithography and collotype that were oriented toward the export market, they focused in on local commercial printing after 1918 and began using tinted halftones and offset printing techniques. They did however continue to print some greetings and art reproductions, and even in the 1930’s when they ran into financial difficulties they were still promoting themselves as artistic commercial printers. By 1939 there were no longer any family members running the firm. In 1972 the East German government took over management, and it was later sold off piecemeal in the 1980’s after German reunification.

D. Menapace    (1919)
Domodossola, Italy

A publisher of photo-chromolithographic view-cards depicting scenes in northwest Italy and southeast France.

Mercantile Studio   1904-1911
4130 Haverford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA

These photographers created a meticulous record of the streets of west Philadelphia and reproduced them as real photo postcards. Many of their images were panoramic views taken directly down the middle of the street. Some of their photo cards were hand colored.

Meriden Gravure Co.   1888-1967
Meriden, CT

A printer of many fine art books and black & white national view-cards in a deep rich collotype. They abandoned this process in 1967 when they began using offset lithography. They also issued cards printed in a dull bluegreen monotone that they called Dutone.

A. E. Merrill   (1912-23)
Damariscotta, ME

A photographer and publisher of real photo postcards depicting the Bristol Damariscotta region of mid-coast Maine.

Elbridge Warren Merrill   (1906-1929)
Stika, AK

Merrill was a photographer from Massachusetts who moved to Alaska during the gold rush years. There he published real photo postcards of his work. Merrill became the first custodian of Stika National Historic Park, which he used as subject matter and also background for his portrait work. The name Merrill is embossed into his cards.

F. E. Merrill   (1906-1913)
Freeport, ME

Published black & white and tinted collotype view-cards of the Casco Bay region of Maine. He used a variety of printers to make his cards but most were manufactured by the Hugh C. Leighton Company.

Metrocraft (Metropolitan)   1940’s-1984
Everett, MA

A major printer of linen and photochrome postcards displaying a variety of subjects. They also printed postcards for many other publishers.

A good number of Metrocraft’s early photochrome postcards retained the use of retouchers that had worked on their linens. These cards have a very distinct look before they went over to a completely uniform photographic means of natural color reproduction.

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