Hertfordshire Postcard Artists, Photographers, Publishers, etc.

Blum & Degen Ltd

Post Card Publishers

Old Herts

Pictures

"F S" Project

Blum and Degen were pioneer post card publishers whose first known card were published in 1895. They covered a wide range of subjects, but only the company history and the Hertfordshire view cards are discussed on this page here, and they fall in a narrow date range. For some of the later comic cards see the "F S" Project.

The earliest I know of were standard sized cards with undivided backs, and while they do not carry the publisher's name they have a distinctive heading on the address side and leave white space for a message on the picture side. The cards are unnumbered and the earliest I have seen was posted in 1903. None of the ones I have seen are coloured.

The first divided back cards are similar. The had a smaller area for messages than for the address on the address side (labelled "Writing space for Inland use only"), and retained a smaller area of white space for messages on the picture side. Later the space on the address side was enlarged and white space vanished from the picture side. These card would have typically been produced about 1905. All cards were given a number, and some were coloured.

A distinctive trademark was introduced in 1905 and many "KROMO" series coloured views of Hertfordshire were issued. The company went bankrupt in October 1908 and there is no evidence of any further Hertfordshire KROMO cards being produced. Such cards would typically have been produced circa 1907.

In 1907 the company claimed to have a stock of ten million cards, but this high stock level lead to financial difficulties and in October 1908 the receiver was called in by Mr. Niven (see Klio Post Card Company).

Undivided Backs (circa 1903)

 

Version 1 (as shown) with smaller picture to leave room for message.. Back printed in black. Unnumbered.

 

Version 2 - as 1 but with wide message strip on picture side  and back printed in red.

unnumbered

 

 

The Abbey, St Albans

 

Version 1. Posted March 27, 1903

unnumbered

 

 

Market Place, Watford

 

Version 2. Posted June 12, 1903

Early Divided Backs (circa 1905)

 

Version 1 (as shown) with larger area for address

Picture has narrow "message strip"

 

Version 2 - very similar but equal area for message and address, no message area on picture side

  Version 3 - very similar to version 2 but coloured picture and green writing on back and "Postcard" one word.

2685

 

 

London Orphan Asylum

Watford

 

Version 1. Posted December 1905

3690

 

 

Queens Road, Watford

 

Version 1

3691     High Street, Watford  

Version 1

Same image as coloured # 8118

3986     Hadley Green, near Barnet   ?

6233

 

 

Mount Pleasant

Lavender Field

Hitchin

 

Version 2. Posted July 29 1913

8117    

Market Place

Watford

  Version 3

8118

 

 

High Street

Watford

 

Version 3. Posted 1907

Same image as uncoloured # 3691

8268

 

 

St Peter's Street

St Albans

 

Version 3

10584

 

 

Parish Church

East Barnet

 

Version 2. Posted September 23 1910

10959

 

 

Charlton

 

Version 2. Posted December 24 1912

10963

 

 

Ickleford

 

Version 2, Posted 1914

Identical image to a Frith card

15609  

Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, post card

 

Knebworth House

   
15611  

 

Hermitage Road

Hitchin

 

Version 2. Not posted

Identical image to a Frith card - see An Interesting Pair

16296

 

 

The Four Cross Roads

Watford

 

Version 2. Posted October 1905

(also known in colour)

No Number   watford-cassio-park-tree   Cassiobury Park, Watford, Posted 1905  

Version 2 Posted 1905

 

Kromo Series (circa 1907)

 

   
21545     River Lear & Lock, Ware   Posted 1908
21595   watford-cassio-mill-03   Old Mill, Cassiobury Park, Watford   Posted 1907
21640     Thorley Lock & River Stort  

 Posted 1908

21652   watford-market-02   Market Place, Watford  

Posted 1960 !

Also known uncoloured

22274     Cassiobury Park, Watford

[Grand Junction Canal]

 

1911

52282  

  Waterfall, Grove Mill, Watford

Cassiobury Park

   

[More examples of Kromo cards, plus some information on different backs,  will be added]

Please tell me if you have any further information on Blum & Degan's cards in Hertfordshire - particularly if they are numbered and/or there is a date of posting.

     

September 2010

 

Page created.

February 2019

 

Prepared for Archive

December 2091   Linked to "F S" pages

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