Spurling & Son Cards Produced for Local Publishers: A Survey

[Ross Ewington]

Elsewhere in this category I commenced a topic devoted to the cards by Selwyn Cox (Launceston) produced for sale by local publishers.

see: http://tps.org.au/bb/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=858

Apparently, the well known Launceston firm of Spurling & Son was involved in the same practice. This card has 'Post Card Tasmania' (with the
then Tasmanian Coat of Arms) printed on the back. Therefore, we can safely assume that the card is a Spurling production*.

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On the message side however, the publication is numbered '390' and attributed to "J.C. Macmichael & Co., St Helens".

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I have also seen a black & white card and a colour card with the view "The Avenue, Cecilia St., St. Helens...." also attributed to Macmichael numbered '387'
and '389' respectively.

I have also located the card below (another Spurling & Son product) number '129' with "R.A. Craw, Longford" attributed as being the publisher.

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I am interested in conducting a survey in this topic in order to compile a list of "Local Publishers" for whom Spurling & Son produced cards. Any information
and images that you can provide will be appreciated with the information being added to the list at the bottom of this first post. If any card(s) to be listed
have been used, please include the date(s) of usage if discernible.


POST CARDS PRODUCED BY SPURLING & SON FOR "LOCAL PUBLISHERS"

R.A. CRAW - LONGFORD

No.129 - "Lake & Macquarie Rivers, Longford, Tasmania" (b&w card - example used from Longford in 1908)

C. EDWARDS - STANLEY and SMITHTON

No number - "Forest Road, Stanley, Tasmania" - b&w card mailed from Stanley in 1909 - illustrated below


J.C. MACMICHAEL & CO. - ST HELENS

No.387 - "The Avenue, Cecelia St., St. Helens, Tas," (b&w card - example used from St Helens in 1908)
No.389 - "The Avenue, Cecelia St., St. Helens, Tas," (colour card - example used from Lottah in 1908)
No.390 - "St. Helens, East Coast, Tasmania," (b&w card - example used from St Helens in 1908)

* from August 1899, Spurling & Son were appointed the official photographer for northern Tasmania and
was given exclusive rights there to use the then Tasmanian coat-of-arms on their photographic products.

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[Hobbit123]

After a quick look at my listings, I wonder whether you wish to include a variant on this theme, the printing of adverts on the front of the card? I have Nos. 624, 625 and 629 with adverts for Walker's Scamander Hotel on the front. I expect such also exist for 626-8, 630 and probably 631, as all are geographically close.

In the syle that Ross has indicated, I have: No. 125, Woolmers, nr Longford for R A Craw, Longford; No. 131, The Mill Dam, Longford for R A Craw, Longford; No. 166, Swanwick, Swan River, Swansea for A Morris, Swansea; No. 167, Coles bay, Freycinet Peninsular (sic) for A. Morris, Swansea; No. 183, Weld Street, Beaconsfield for Southerns, Launceston & Beaconsfield; No. 337 Hamilton on Forth, NWC for J G Pike, Scottsdale;

Please don't ask me to find them in a hurry!

[Hobbit123]

For a change, here is one recently acquired, so I can produce an image for it. The card is like Spurling 121, Mt Roland, near Sheffield. It is dated 22/5/1908 and was posted in Launceston. The publisher is "Cohen & Co" with no indication of their line of business. Looking at my Wise's directory for 1903, the most likely candidate is Bloch, Cohen & Co of Sheffield, listed as General Merchants.

The image of the rear of the card is shown below.

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[Ross Ewington]

This uncommon view of Stanley has a Spurling & Son postcard back with the publisher's name printed on the verso "C. Edwards - Stanley and Smithton"

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[Ross Ewington]

On this view of "Gilbert Street, Latrobe" published by J.S. Wilson you can clearly make out a S. SPURLING PHOTO handstamp
which would have been on the original photo (see lower right corner).

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and this view of "Devonport..." published by J. Whitfield, Printer & Stationer, Devonport has an identical postcard back to the Latrobe view
card so it's a 'definite' as well (i.e. produced from a Spurling photo)

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[Ross Ewington]

"By the River" Wilmot Road, Forth River, N.W. Coast...." - publisher given as J.G. Pike, Hamilton-on-Forth
and card numbered '341' - same postcard back as illustrated above in the first post.

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[Ross Ewington]

Card No.212 with view of "Ringarooma, N.E. Coast..." with publisher given of verso as "W.J. Conder, Ringarooma Series"

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[Ross Ewington]

Another card with "J.S. Wilson, Latrobe" cited as publisher.

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[Ross Ewington]

"Latrobe from River Road..." - L.E.O. Ready printed on verso as publisher

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[Ross Ewington]

Same back as the previous card with "Don Trading Co Penguin" cited as the publisher.

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Does anyone have either of the previous two cards with Spurling cited as definitely being the publisher??

[Ross Ewington]

Patrick records a Spurling card above with the publisher cited as "Southerns Launceston and Beaconsfield" - http://tps.org.au/bb/posting.php?mode=r ... 900#pr3786

I have just located another card by this publisher with a view of the "Beauty Point Jetty River Tamar near Beaconsfield" (No.181)

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[Ross Ewington]

Another 'sub-publisher' - C. Edwards - Stanley and Smithton

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[Ross Ewington]

This card numbered '338' is another stating J.G. Pike, Hamilton-on-Forth to be the publisher.

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[Des_Beechey]

Hi Ross,

I am interested in this comment of yours about Spurling being appointed official photographer:

* from August 1899, Spurling & Son were appointed the official photographer for northern Tasmania and
was given exclusive rights there to use the then Tasmanian coat-of-arms on their photographic products.

Can you tell me how this came about? I assume there was an official statement - do you know where that was?

And how did the other northern photographers come to use the coat of arms as well? i.e. Selwyn Cox, H.W. Grattan

Thanks

Des

[Ross Ewington]

Hi Des

I was quoting information contained in Christine Burgess' PhD theses "The Spurling legacy and the emergence of wilderness photography in Tasmania" (2010)

https://eprints.utas.edu.au/10507/

In regard to the exclusive rights being granted to Spurling to use the Tasmanian coat of arms, I no longer accept this as fact due to the contemporaneous use by Cox, Gee (I think) and Grattan and the lack
of empirical evidence to hand.

Christine is a member of the TPS BB and can be contacted via the internal mailing facility

cheers ... Ross

[Ross Ewington]

Spurling card for A. Morris, Swansea with view ROCKY HILLS ROAD SHOWING OLD PENAL STATION NEAR SWANSEA (No.165)

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[Ross Ewington]

I just noted another "sub-publisher" of Spurling cards - HOPE & FIELD, BOOKSELLERS, DEVONPORT

This card originally published by Spurling & Son (Mersey Lighthouse, Devonport...) is numbered "Nr. 293"

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[Ross Ewington]

Just found two cards by a 'new' publisher using Spurling & Son cards

Geo. Cameron, Storekeeper, Deloraine

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Neither card has a number

[Ross Ewington]

This card SCOTTSDALE FROM BRIDPORT ROAD was produced for A.M Rose, Scottsdale ..... it is numbered No.661 ........ there is still a "Rose's Newsagent" in Scottsdale today!

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Note that Steve Spurling's automobile (registration number '986') is parked in view next to the bullock team

[Ross Ewington]

A 'new' user of Spurling cards under own business name

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BARNARD and HILL were booksellers in Charles Street, Launceston. Interesting to note that the previous owner of the business was Richard Gee

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This advertisement from September 1908 was published in THE NORTHWEST ADVOCATE and EMU BAY TIMES