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 ?
R - PUBLISHERS page 2
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The Rotograph Co. 1904-1911
684 Broadway, New York, NY
A major printer and publisher of postcards. They took over the National Art View Company in 1904 and republished many of their images under their own name. A wide variety of card types were issued in 19 letter series plus many other miscellaneous cards and printed items, but they are best known for their view-cards in color rotogravure. Many postcards were printed in the Rotograph style without their logo on them. These early cards may have been private contracts made with the Rotograph Company or from orders placed directly with their printers in Germany. Rotograph produced about 60,000 postcards that were printed in Hamburg, Germany, by Stengel of Dresden, by Knackstedt & Nather of Nancy, France, and possibly by Reinike & Rubin of Magdeburg. While Rotograph produced large amounts cards in clearly defined lettered designated sets, they also produced unique small card sets. Rather than assign small sets a new designation, they were often given a taken letter prefix that corresponded to their subject.
Numbered - Many early cards were printed without any letter prefixes. Most of these are reprints of National Art View cards printed in black & white or hand colored, but there are many exceptions to this. Some of these cards hold the Sol Art Prints logo.
A Series - Black & white views printed as collotypes in high detail. Their titles were printed during a seperate press run in letterset.
B Series - Rotogravures printed in a dull blue, issued as a topical series. Some of these cards do not carry numbers but only the series name such as Marine Views Series.
(B Series) - A sub-series consisting of real photos cards on bromide paper. Issued as novelties on a variety of topics.
Cuba - The numbering of these cards places them within other Rotograph series but these cards are all bilingual. They are mostly consist of views of Havana but they also depict some other cities and generic rural scenes. While their numbers run 12000-12100 there are many different sub-fixes. The Cuban cards with a G prefix are halftone lithographs rather than the usual designated gravure.
D Series - Views printed in a delft grayish blue.
E Series - Views printed in halftone lithography with divided backs.
(E Series) - A smaller subset of E cards were a series made depicting people and views from Egypt. These cards were hand colored and they were issued with two types of backs; one in english, the other in Arabic on a standard Egyptian postal.
F Series - Includes many techniques and subjects such as artist signed, illustrated cards and cartoons. Other prefixes include FD, FK, FL, FR. Also included are views with a printed wooden frame.
G Series - Views printed in color rotogravure where the image fades into the tabs (sometimes called vignetting). The cards of this series display the most recognizable style from Rotograph and they were their most popular cards.
GL Series - Despite the fine gravure texture, the overall effect on these views is one of softness and poor quality printing..
Globe Trotter Series - This numbered but unlettered series depicted international views that were issued in sets. These cards were printed in the same technique as those of the E Series.
H Series - Hand colored views.
(H Series) - A sub-series of embossed lithographic greeting cards, many with Dutch themes. The letter H only on this prefix has a slanted crossbar that can be confused with the letter N.
I Series - View-cards depicting Japan.
J Series - Mostly hand colored depictions of domestic life in Japan with some landscapes. There are 75 cards in this series.
M Series - Art reproductions. This series was latter taken over by Stengel.
N Series - Night scenes. Printed in continuous tone color with a heavy dark blue cast and bright highlights similar to the look of copper window cards. Many other night views were made in the B series.
NPG Series - Glossy real photo sets of Dutch scenes with deep delft blue toning. These were manufactured by the New Photographic Society in Germany.
O Series - Real photo cards on bromide paper in embossed frames that were made in England. Real photo cards in the identical format were made by Davidson Brothers of London.
P Series - Photo cards on glossy bromide paper set in large embossed borders that were made in England.
Panoramas - These two, three, or four panel cards had double letter prefixes, P for Panorama followed by a letter from another series. The prefixes used were PA, PD, PE, PG, and PH.
R Series - The imagery here is taken from other series but these cards are embossed in high relief with red lettering. An addition sheet of stiff paper is glued to their backs so it can be written upon. They seem to have been made in 1904 and 1905. Many of these cards now suffer from peeling.
XS Series - Real photo Christmas cards on bromide paper.
Z Series - Cards printed for the New York Zoological Society in black & white and color rotogravure. Rotograph’s name does not appear on these cards.
Rotograph issued an unlettered set depicting scenes from the San Francisco earthquake soon after the event. They are printed in an uncharacteristic open halftone with a dull pallet, and were most likely contracted out to a local California printer.
Rotorura Post 1885-
Rotorura, New Zealand
A local newspaper that has a long history of publishing postcards. While many of these cards seem to be poorly printed and casually retouched, it gives them a unique mannered look that can be quite appealing.
Roukes & Erhart (1912-1956)
Baarn, Netherlands
A publisher of postcards and souvenir booklets. They produced a number of sepia and hand colored view-cards in addition to their artist signed cards that include large sets by Rie Cramer.
J. Rubin Publishing Co. (1907-1917)
39 Johnson Street, Newburgh, NY
Published view-cards of New York and Connecticut in halftone lithography.
Runta Import Co. (1945-1957)
Rutherfordtown, NC
An importer and distributor of postcards for the Atelier Graphique H. Vontobel in Switzerland. These view-cards depict scenes on a national scope mostly contracted for resorts and tourist attractions. A notable set was made of the colonial architecture in Williamsburg, Virginia. These cards may bare either the name of Runta, Vontobel, or K.S. Tanner, Jr. who was most likely the owner of the Runta Import Co. All cards were printed in the Swiss photochrom process and have white borders with a irregular edge.
Samuel E. Rusk (1879-1909)
Haines Falls, NY
As a photographer of the Catskills Rusk began publishing important early guidebooks to the region with maps in 1879 based on his travels through these mountains. He was a member of Arnold Henry Guyot’s first scientific survey of the Catskills in the following year. Rusk became an important businessman in Haines Falls serving as the postmaster and running a boarding house. By the turn of the century Rusk also began publishing lithographic monochrome postcards from his photographs. In 1908 he formed a partnership, Rusk & Andrews to help further his ambitions such as building the Wauwanda Theater. Although Rusk continued to produce postcards under his own name the majority came to be published by Rusk & Andrews well into the 1920’s.
Russia America Line 1900-1917
St. Petersburg, Russia
Founded as the Russia East Asiatic Steamship Company, a subsidiary of the East Asiatic Company. They changed their name to the Russia America Line after starting service between Libau in Latvian Russia and New York City. They published postcards of their ships and tourist oriented cards of their ports of call, which were Rotterdam, Halifax, and sometimes Copenhagen. When the First World War closed the port of Libau in 1914 they moved the Russian end of the line to Archangel. The Line closed after the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the ships sold off.
Rust Craft Publishing 1913-
Boston, MA
Fred Winslow Rust first published holiday cards from his bookstore in 1908. This venture turned into the much larger Rust Craft Publishing in 1913.
O. de Rycker (1895-1928)
Brussels, Belgium
This master lithographer was one of the most famous producers of posters in Europe. Their fine work led them into printing other high quality items such as stock certificates. They also printed many artist signed postcards in continuous tone lithography and are noted for the cards published by the Red Star Line that were illustrated by Cassiers.
