Pictorial Postcards
PJF (Partick J Fisher) Cards
PJF Cards uses in its name the initials of Patrick Julian Fisher, a Harwich artist who died in 1987. He is recognised as a major artist of the East Coast of England who specialised in the seascapes and landscapes of the Harwich area. After his untimely death a series of greeting cards and prints were made from his paintings and these were greeted with great enthusiasm.
The paintings and prints document the changing Harwich scene over a period of over twenty-five years. His paintings are in private collections in America , France and England. Perhaps the greatest compliment on his work came from the art critic of the East Anglian Daily Times who said of his work, on viewing a retrospective exhibition.
The paintings and prints document the changing Harwich scene over a period of over twenty-five years. His paintings are in private collections in America , France and England. Perhaps the greatest compliment on his work came from the art critic of the East Anglian Daily Times who said of his work, on viewing a retrospective exhibition.
Photo-Precision Limited, St Albans (printers and publishers of postcards 1946 – 1969)
At least three series of this publisher’s cards were produced for Harwich & Dovercourt area
Series #01 - Dovercourt (1952) – No numbering
Series #02 Harwich (1953) – No numbering
Series #03 - Dovercourt (1954) – Sequential numbering
(#5134 - #5145)
The third and final series of cards are shown below, although I am still missing card #5142, if anyone comes across it.
Also shown here is one of the original “Proof” photographs for the final card #5145, which shows the card remained popular for several years and was reissued all the way though to 1963.
Photo Precision was established in 1946, by Directors Arthur Smith and Tom English. Arthur Smith served his apprenticeship with "Valentines" of Dundee as a photographer. The company was based based in Perth Road. Arthur was called up in the R A F in WW2 as a private as an Ariel photographer, but failed his Aircrew medical as he was virtually blind in one eye. He finished his service as a Wing Commander, second in command of photography at Whitehall.
Tom English worked with experimental Dep't at Farnbourgh as a photographic engineer. Presumably, they assumed that this was the perfect partnership to form a business, after the end of WW2. The original factory was established at Caledonia Road in London.
In 1963 the company bought fellow postcard publishers, J B White of Dundee. However, Photo-Precision was itself taken over by Colourmaster Ltd in 1969.
"Colourmaster" was the brand name of Photo Precision used for all its postcards and guidebooks.
The company moved from its base in St. Albans, (Hollywell Hill) to St. Ives in Huntingdonshire, together with a new " Marinoni " litho printing set up, however sadly shortly thereafter went into administration.