RAPHAEL TUCK AND SONS : MALTA POSTCARDS

Derek Mann and Rodger Evans

Foreword

This paper was largely written by Derek Mann and was contained in papers given to Rodger Evans after his death. It has been edited and expanded by Rodger Evans, but tribute must be given to Derek Mann for his painstaking research and meticulous note keeping which enable this to be put together.

Introduction

Raphael Tuck and Sons began issuing postcards late in the 19th century, but following the British Post Office amendment to the regulations in 1899 to accept pictures, they produced their first sets and began a prolific output of which the Malta titles considered here were only a tiny fraction.

Tuck’s ‘Oilette series’

‘Oilettes’ purported to be ‘after original paintings’. However it seems likely that, in fact, artist enhanced photographs or perhaps painted copies of photographs were used as some of the cards bear a photographer’s imprint.

From 1905 countless six-card Oilette series, on a variety of worldwide subjects were published. The backs are worth close inspection as earlier issues have the Edward VII coat of arms on them, later superseded by the arms of George V.

Tuck’s Oilette cards of Malta

Three sets of six card showing Malta views were published in the Oilette series. Series I with number 7090; series II number 7091; and, series III number 6568. They proved to be extremely popular and were reprinted many times. A fourth set, series no. 8995, selected using images on cards previously published, was put together for sale at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition.

Ten out of the total of eighteen cards carry references to Cassar as the photographer. These appear either on the back as a ‘Photo Cassar’ imprint, or as a faint ‘Photo Cassar’ on the picture side of some of the earlier printings. These imprints seem to have been removed at a later stage as they are not found on later printings. It seems highly likely that the eight cards not so identified were also based on Cassar photos, but no credit has so far been found.

The earliest recorded date of use for these cards is a Malta handstamp of NO 05, day unclear, but has a Manchester receiving mark of NO 29 05.

Malta Oilette Picture listings:

Note the numbers given have been ascribed by the Malta Study Circle.

Series I: 7090

1. Malta, Citta Vecchia 3. A Maltese milkman

2. Maltese Lady with Faldetta

4. Malta, Porta Reale 5. Malta, Royal Naval Hospital 6. Malta, Interior of St. John’s with Dghaisa Church

Series II 7091

7. Malta, Custom House and 8. Malta, Grand Harbour 9. Malta, Entrance to Grand Landing Place Harbour

10. Malta, Musta Church 11. Malta, Quarantine Harbour 12. Malta, Strada Reale

Series III 7568

13. Malta, Grand Harbour 14. Malta, Palace Square 15. Malta, Piazza Regina and Public Library

16. Malta, St. Paul’s Bay 18. Malta, Theatre Royal

17. Malta, Strada Santa Lucia

Series IV 8995

6 Malta, Interior of St. Ex. Series I 9 Malta, Entrance to Grand Ex series John’s Church Harbour II 14 Malta, Palace Square Ex series III* 15 Malta, Piazza Regina and Ex series Public Library III 17 Malta, Strada Santa Lucia Ex series III 18 Malta, Theatre Royal Ex series III * This card was erroneously printed as being series II when it is in fact series III

These cards were sold in an envelope of the type shown below

Coats of arms on the back of the cards

The Royal Warrant of Appointment was first granted to Tuck’s by Queen Victoria in 1893 and continued through the later reigns of Edward VII and George V. Three different versions of the coat of arms are found on the Malta cards.

Arms of Edward VII Arms of George V Arms of George V reworked for Wembly Exhibition

Different back types

A. MALTA Series I Ed VII CoA Postcard 7090 B. As type ‘A’ but ‘Oilette’ [Regd.]’

C. As type ‘B’ but ‘By Appointment’ omitted D. As type A but different font. Note 7090 not from CoA and [Regd.] sans serif and not bold

E. MALTA Series II CoA EdVII [Regd.] Postcard F. As E but Regd.omitted and ‘Postcard’ in 7091 upright font, not italics

G. As type A but ‘Photo Cassar’ added, and font H. CoA GV, no [Regd.], ‘Postcard 7091’ font different – note different lengths of ‘Postcard slightly different from type G 7091’

J. As H but [Regd.] added, ‘Postcard 7091’ K. MALTA Series III, EdVII CoA, ‘Postcard number in bold and seriffed font. 7091’

Ex. MALTA. Series I, II or III Post Card No. 8995

Back types and series Tuck’s ‘Wide-wide-world’ ‘Oilette’ Malta Issues

Pic. Back Type No. A B C D E F G H J K Ex 1 I/7090 I/7090 I/7090 2 I/7090 I/7090 I/7090 3 I/7090 I/7090 I/7090 4 I/7090 I/7090 I/7090 5 I/7090 I/7090 I/7090 6 I/7090 I/7090 I/7090 I/709 I/8995 0 7 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 8 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 9 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 II/8995 10 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 n/r 11 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 12 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 II/7091 13 III/7568 III/7568 14 III/7568 III/7568 II/8995* 15 III/7568 III/7568 III/8995 16 III/7568 III/7568 17 III/7568 III/7568 III/8995 18 III/7568 III/7568 III/8995 CoA EdVII KGV EdVII KGV EdVII KGV Wembley Series I Series II Series III Exhibition n/r = not recorded; * = Printer’s error II for III

Earliest dates of use by back type

Back A B C D E F G H J K Ex 31.10.10 06.11.06 09.01.06 29.11.05 11.12.09 13.03.07 05.12.11 17.12.06 09.10.13

Overprints

Overprints on these cards have been assigned reference letters as shown below.

AHC-1 AHC-2 AHC-3

AHC-4 AHC-5

CG-1R(ed), CG-1G(old) not illustrated CG-2

CG-3 CG-4

CG-5 CG-6

HNY-1 MC-1 (Maltese Cross)

Ref Colour Found on card Numbers. Letter refers to back type. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 AHC-1 Red E H AHC-2 Red B B G AHC-3 Red K AHC-4 Red B AHC-5 Red K CG-1R Red A B H K CG-1G Gold F CG-2 Red F G J CG-3 Blue H H CG-4R Red B CG-4G Gold A CG-5 Blue C CG-6 Red J HNY-1 Red B G √ MC-1 Red A A A F F F F F F F F J

British Empire Exhibition, Wembley 1924

The following set of twelve black and white cards were issued by Tuck’s for the British Empire Exhibition 1924. They were also sold in packs of six – series 1 (shown left) and series 2.

The cards are copyright ‘The Malta Government’.

The arms and back type is shown above.

1. Hall of Malta under the Knights 2. Hall of Malta under the Knights 3. Prehistoric Malta section of St. John of Jerusalem of St. John of Jerusalem

4. Prehistoric Malta section 5. The Grand Harbour and the 6. The Malta pavilion at Wembley Three Cities Malta

8. Valletta and the Marsamuscetto

Harbour. The destroyers of the 12. Malta – the island of sunshine 7. Industrial Malta section Mediterranean Fleet moor in this harbour

9. Auberge de Castille Valletta 10. A Maltese boat 11. Picturesque Malta Malta

The cards were sold at the Exhibition, and the card shown was posted there on 11th July 1924.

‘George Cross’ commemorative greetings card.

This greetings card with a ‘new’ view was issued by Tuck’s to commemorate the awarding of the George Cross to Malta. It is the only type recorded, but maybe there are others waiting to be discovered?

Modern Cards printed in colour

This glossy, highly coloured series of eighteen cards were issued in the early 1960’s. They bear an inscription ‘COPYRIGHT BY SAPIENZA’S LIBRARY, VALLETTA, MALTA’. They have a new back design, printed in green, and bearing the coat-of-arms of Queen Elizabeth.

Cards numbered 7 – 12 have an additional inscription ‘Photo by N.P. Pearson, Australia’.

1. Interior. St. John’s Co-cathedral 2. The triton Fountain 3. Mosta Church

4. Church commemorating St. 5. The Karrozzin showing Castille 6. Mgarr – Gozo harbour Paul’s landing in background

7. St. Angelo, Valletta Grand 8. The Dghaisa man, with Senglea 9. Malta’s War Memorial with harbour with Grand Master’s in the background N.A.T.O. Headquarters in the Vedette background

10. Kingsway, Valletta during 11. Mgarr church 12. Marsaxlokk, a typical Maltese Festa. Lady in faldetta fishing hamlet

13. Msida creek, on skyline Mdina 14. Valletta Grand Harbour with 15. The Isle on which St Paul was and Mtarfa Grand Master vedette in left shipwrecked in A.D. 60 foreground

16. Senglea (Fort Saint Michael) 17. Spinola fishing hamlet with 18. Triton fountain at night, from Valletta Sliema Tower in background Floriana

Tuck’s souvenir ‘Letterview’ of Malta

Type 1 : 115 x 75 mm

A souvenir ‘Letterwiew’ in was issued at unknown date but one has been recorded used in 1948. Two series are known each of 6 new views (with the possible exception of the interior view of St John’s Co-cathedral) and un-numbered.

Front Back

Flap (second series – first series has no designation)

Series 1

1. Phoenicia Hotel, Floriana 2. H.M.S. St Angelo 3. Maltese Dghajsa

4. St. John’s Co-cathedral 5. St. Paul’s Cathedral 6. Mdina Cathedral

Series 2

7. Sliema Creek from Valletta 8. St. Paul’s Bay 9. Valetta from Senglea Point

10. Ghain Tuffieha bay 11. Barracca Lift 12. Maltese Cab (Carozzin)

Type 2 : 140 x 90 mm

Front Back

Flap

There are three letter cards known. Series A has pictures 1 - 6; Series B has pictures 7 – 12; and, Series C has pictures 13 – 18. Thought to have been issued during the mid-1960’s.