GWR postcards
GWR postcards series 7-9
Series 7
Ready for the summer season of 1908, the GWR published a small series of twelve coloured view cards in the July. The address side was printed in green and carried the same combined shield device as the series 6 cards. The words G.W.R. Series 7. The Cornish Riviera. were printed down the left of the address panel. The stamp panel also contained a reminder of the postal rates 'Inland ½d. Foreign 1d.' These cards were sold at 6d for the set.
1 - The Hoe, Plymouth
2 - St. Ives Bay & Porthminster Beach
3 - Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash. (from Saltash.)
4 - Falmouth.
5 - The Parade, Penzance
6 - The Sands, Newquay
7 - Mousehole,Penzance
8 - Poldhu Marconi Station
9 - Looe: Mouth Of River
10 - Fowey
11 - The Palm Walk, Tresco
12 - Lands End
Series 7 postcard back
Series 8
Fishguard Harbour was opened on 30th August 1906 and the GWR started operating its ferry service from there to Rosslare. It also sought to promote the port as a port of call for trans-Atlantic liners and exactly three years later the first Cunard liner, the 'Mauretania', disembarked passengers and mail for onwards travel by rail on the 'Ocean Express' to London. This series of cards, published in January 1910, features that ship and the 'Lusitania'.
The whole set of 24 sepia collotype cards sold for only 6d. The words G.W. Series 8. No. x. were printed on the address side above the earlier company device of two shields above a large scroll. G.W.R. FISHGUARD HARBOUR, Port of Call Series was printed down the left hand side.
The Great Western Railway Magazine from February 1910 carried a collage of all 24 cards in the series with the title New series of postcards - Ocean Liners at FishguardGreat Western Railway Magazine
February 1910
Author's collection
Click or tap link for a larger image but with no further description. In the collection of The National Museum of Wales is an album of photographs taken, it would appear, by an unknown photographer on the inaugural day of the transatlantic service. No fewer than 19 of the images in that album have been found to have been cropped and used as the basis for this series of postcards. Click or tap on a postcard thumbnail to see it overlaid on the original photograph. Interestingly, some of the photographs in the album were also used in several versions of a leaflet Fishguard, Information for Passengers published between about 1910 and 1913 by the Cunard Line.
In its October 1909 edition, the same magazine carried two long, and well illustrated, articles. One of five pages, Fishguard, The new port of call for ocean liners., described the events of 30th August, and the second article of three pages, The Run of the "Cunard Ocean Special", covered the first run of the train to Paddington. These articles included, together with some sketches, individual photographs and two pages of photographs Click or tap to see the two pages of photographs , all of which can be found in the album. Many of the photographs used are the same as those featured on the GWR postcards but there are eight or nine others from the album which are not. The photographer is not credited but it is fascinating to think that the album could have been put together by the original photographer who covered the events of August 30th.
Original photograph not found in museum collection
1 - G.W.R. "Cunard Ocean Express"
Fishguard - London 261 miles, 4¾ hours
Click or tap to see this postcard overlaid on its original photograph
2 - Dining Saloon, "Ocean Express".
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4 - RMS "Mauretania".
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5 - RMS "Mauretania" entering Fishguard Harbour.
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6 - RMS “Lusitania” approaching Fishguard.
Click or tap to see this postcard overlaid on its original photograph
8 - RMS “Mauretania”,
at anchor, Fishguard Harbour.
Original photograph not found in museum collection
9 - RMS “Lusitania”, at anchor,
Fishguard Harbour.
Click or tap to see this postcard overlaid on its original photograph
10 - RMS “Mauretania” at Fishguard Harbour.
Original photograph not found in museum collection
11 - GWR Passenger Tender approaching Quay
Fishguard Harbour Station.
Original photograph not found in museum collection
13 - GWR Tender Transferring Passengers,
Fishguard Harbour.
Click or tap to see this postcard overlaid on its original photograph
14 - Passengers Transferring to Tender,
Fishguard Harbour.
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15 - Passengers Transferring to Tender,
Fishguard Harbour.
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16 - Tender Transferring Mails,
Fishguard Harbour.
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18 - Passenger Tender
Leaving R.M.S."Mauretania".
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19 - RMS “Mauretania” in
Fishguard Harbour.
Click or tap to see this postcard overlaid on its original photograph
20 - Passengers landing at Fishguard Harbour Station.
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21 - Passengers Landing
at Fishguard Harbour.
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22 - Welsh Girls in National Costume at Fishguard.
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24 - G.W.R. "Ocean Express",
Leaving Fishguard.
Series 8 postcard back
Other cards in Series 8
- 3 RMS “Lusitania” sighted approaching Fishguard
- 7 Passenger Tender approaching RMS “Mauretania” Fishguard Harbour
- 12 RMS “Mauretania” at Anchor, Fishguard Harbour
- 17 G.W.R. Mail Tender
- 23 Landing Mails, Fishguard Harbour Station
Series 9
It is not known when this series of twelve photographic cards of the West Country went on sale. All the titles were suffixed by (Great Western Railway) except Castle Rock, Lynton (via Barnstaple, Great Western Railway), Salcombe – North Sands & Bolt Head (via Kingsbridge, Great Western Railway), and The East Lyn & Lynton (via Barnstaple & Great Western Rly). All carrried on the back Series 9. above the company device of two separate shields above a large scroll.
1 - Bradley Woods, Newton Abbot.
(Great Western Railway)
2 - Brixham – The Harbour.
(Great Western Railway)
3 - Dawlish from Lea Mount.
(Great Western Railway)
4 - Ilfracombe.
(Great Western Railway)
5 - Ivybridge The Bridge.
(Great Western Railway)
6 - Kingswear Castle.
(Great Western Railway)
7 - Castle Rock, Lynton.
(Great Western Railway)
8 - Plymouth – The Sound & Drake’s Island.
(Great Western Railway)
9 - Salcombe – North Sands & Bolt Head.
(Via Kingsbridge, Great Western Railway)
10 - Teignmouth.
(Great Western Railway)
11 - The East Lyn & Lynton.
(Via Barnstaple & Great Western Railway)
12 - Torquay from Rock Walk.
(Great Western Railway)
Series 9 postcard back
Series 9 pre-stamped postcard
12 - Posted to Oxford
Franked 'Shepherds Bush 29 Dec 1913'
