Hertfordshire Postcard Artists, Photographers, Publishers, etc.

Wrench Post Cards

(Hertfordshire cards from 1902/3/4)

Sir John Evelyn Leslie Wrench (1882-1966) was actively interested in the unity of the British Empire and his post card activities only occupied a few years of a very active life. He left Eton at 17 planning to enter the diplomatic service and travelled on the Continent to learn languages. While there  he noticed how advanced the Germans were in the production of post cards and decided to publish post cards. His first post cards were ready for sale by the end of 1900 and the company expanded very fast to become perhaps the largest post card publisher in the country with a very wide range of cards - including many view cards including some of Hertfordshire. However it expanded too fast, with too much money locked up in the stock of some 10,000 differed subjects, and despite support from Amalgamated Press  it was liquidated in July 1904. Evelyn became editor of the Overseas Daily Mail and while the company was reformed as Wrench Postcards Ltd at the beginning of 1905 this company closed down in 1906. Two of the employees who were with the company in 1904, Watson & George Knight, began their own business as the Knight Brothers, and their output includes the "Mirror" series of view cards. They set up a limited company in 1906 and ceased trading in about 1908.

In 1934 Evelyn wrote an autobiography (Uphill, The First Stage in a Strenuous Life) which includes his experiences as a post card publisher and there is a detailed section on his publishing career in Picture Postcards and their Publishers by Anthony Byatt. The Daily Mail published an interesting article describing the company in 1903 and there is more information on the Postcard Collecting Bulletin Board.

So what about the Hertfordshire cards? Because of the history of the firm one can say with confidence that all cards showing views in the county must have been published between 1901 and 1906. So far I have not seen a Hertfordshire card with an undivided back - so the earliest could be 1902. With one exception all have basically the same back with the  words "This space must be used of communication in the British Isles only (Post Office Regulation)" over four lines - although there are some minor typesetting differences. All but one appear to be printed in Saxony.

The layout of the pictures vary, some being in colour, and there are alternative versions of some cards. All cards carry a reference number in the Wrench series but the location of the number, the Wrench name and logo, and the printing details vary. In particular some cards have been noted which are not labelled as being Wrench cards - but they have matching numbers and backs which indicate that they are, and some cards have the names of local shops as publishers.

It seems likely that all the Hertfordshire cards so far identified would have been photographed in 1902/3 or early 1904, but a few may have been republished as late as 1906.

Some (and perhaps all) post cards in "The Hatfield Series" and "The Hertford Series" would appear to have been printed by the same Saxony printer to similar specifications at about the same time. Could these series also have been published by Wrench? More investigation is needed.

If you can help make this list more comprehensive by sending details of other Hertfordshire Wrench cards I will be very grateful.

London Daily News, 20th DecemberR, 1907

Undivided Back Examples (Not Hertfordshire)

205 Eton - The College Dining Hall

363  Winchester Cathedral

posted December 1901

1546,

undivided back, posted August 1902

Back of 363

1546 also has printing detail on left margin

Divided Back (1903/4) Hertfordshire & Some Adjacent Towns

2194 High Street, Watford

Typical Back circa 1903/4 

2195 The Parish Church, Watford

2196 The Fig Tree Tomb, Watford

2197 Cassiobury Park Gates

2198 The Footbridge, Cassiobury Park, Watford (also uncoloured)

2199 The Swiss Cottage, Cashiobury Park, Watford (also uncoloured)

Berkhamsted

2664 Woodcock Lane, Hertfordshire

[Known posted Oct 1903]

(There is a Woodcock Hill in Berkhamsted)

2665 Beckhampton Place, Herts

2665 Beckhampton Place, The Park

The above picture also occurs on the Raphael Tuck & Sons "Country" Postcard No 2275  which contains two views "Berkhampstead Park" and "Egerton House" - copy known posted 1901.

See Erroneous and Misleading old Post Cards

Over the County Boundary into Bedfordshire

I decided to check for towns in Beds, Bucks, and Essex close to the Hertfordshire border  I found some for Luton & Dunstable (Beds) but so far none for Aylesbury (Bucks) or Waltham Abbey (Essex).

3759 Luton - Park Road

Photo Anderson, Luton

3431 Luton - A Bit of Old Luton

(also version with Photo: Anderson Luton)

3432 Luton - A Bit of Old Luton

photo: Anderson, Luton

3760 Luton - Why-Ax-Ye.

Photo Anderson, Luton

[also with printed Xmas Message]

3768 Silsoe Church Interior (Bedfordshire). Photo Anderson, Luton 

Trains that would have run through Hertfordshire

4512 Euston Station, L & N W R

Kings Langley

4917 Langley Hill, Kings Langley

{W. Baldwin, Kings Langley}

4918 The Lock, Kings Langley

{W. Baldwin, Kings Langley}

4919 Church, Kings Langley

4921 Church, Kings Langley

4922 The Castle Ruins, Kings Langley  -{No Wrench}

4923 The Mill, Kings Langley

{No Wrench}

4924 The Mill Bridge, Kings Langley

{W. Baldwin, Kings Langley} 

[4925 High Street, Kings Langley]

5187 Pound House, Kings Langley

{W. Baldwin, Kings Langley}

Printed in Berlin

More Cards of Luton

5973 Corn Exchange, Luton

[No Wrench] {Dryerre's Series}

(also coloured Wrench version)

5974 George Street, Luton

5974 George Street, Luton

[No Wrench] {Dryerre's Series}

5976 Park Road, Luton

5977 Luton Hoo

5978 Parish Church, Luton

(also coloured version)

Bishops Stortford & St Albans

6287 North Street, Bishops Stortford

6288 High Street, Bishops Stortford

(also noted uncoloured)

6290 On the Stort, Bishops Stortford

6292 South Street, Bishops Stortford

(also noted uncoloured)

6294 The George Inn, St Albans

6294 The George Inn, St Albans

6295 St Michael's Church, St Albans

6296 St Albans Abbey from S.W.

6297 St Peter's Church, St Albans

6298 The Lady Chapel, St Albans

6299 Clock Tower, St Albans

6300 Unknown

6301 St Albans, the Nave

6902 St Albans, St Albans Shrine

7218 The Modern School, Bedford (card has wide white border round picture)

6303 French Row, St Albans

6304 Sopwell Nunnery, St Albans

6307 Town Hall, St Albans

7759 High Barnet Church

Again there are likely to be some intermediate numbered cards which relate to Hertfordshire.

7756 Hadley Green, Narnet

7757 Unknown

7759 High Barnet Church

7760 Hadley Church, Barnet

7761 High Street, High Barnet

7762 Church & High Street, High Barnet

7763 Hadley Obelisk 

Hatfield

Catherine notes the following similar "Hatfield Series" cards:

Birdseye view from the Tower 15
Park St 16
Hatfield Newtown church  21
Queen Elizabeth oak 46
Essendon Mill 60
Lemsford vicarage – no number

8586 Hatfield House - View from N.W.

8587 Hatfield House - South Front

8631 Cassiobury Park, Watford

8632 The Chalet, Cassiobury Park, Watford [Also uncoloured]

8633 The Pond, Watford

8635 The Pond, Watford

8637 Tree growing out of Tomb

8639 Entrance to Cassiobury Park

8638 Watford Church

8634 Market Place, Watford 

8636 Waterfall, Cassiobury Park, Watford [also coloured]

8834 Walsworth Street, Hitchin

8837 Tilehouse Street, Hitchin

8839 High Street, Hitchin

8841 Coopers Arms, Hitchin

8832 The Biggin

8835 Unknown

8836 Unknown

8837 Tilehouse Street

8838 Bancroft

8840 Bridge Street

9599 Rickmansworth

9599 Rickmansworth (colour)

9600 Canal, Rickmansworth

9601 Canal Weir, Rickmansworth

9602 Moor Park, Rickmansworth

9604 Batchworth, Rickmansworth

A Change in the Colour Printing

9776 of High Road, Ilford, Essex still in old style

11094 of Liverpool Royal Infirmary- in new style

Highest number noted 15197 of Upper Lake, Killarney Boat Mountains

12916 High Street, Dunstable

12917 Grammar School, Dunstable

12919 High Street, Dunstable

12920 Dunstable Downs

Later 1906 Back (by restructured company 1905/6)

Later Back

2195 The Parish Church, Watford