GWR postcards
Other series
Fishguard Route Series - 1908
The Great Western Railway had hoped for greater success with their sea routes from Fishguard, especially those to Ireland, and they faced stiff competition from the route established by the London & North Western Railway via Holyhead. To help publicise their route the GWR produced a set of four cards in 1908 for use on their steamers making the crossing to and from Ireland.These green collotype cards all carried the title Fishguard Route To Ireland on the front together with the title of the particular card. The words GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY FISHGUARD ROUTE SERIES were printed down the left hand edge of the address side which also carried in the centre, enclosed in a rectangular box, the two shields of the company crest above G.W.R..
1 - Turbine Steamer
2 - Drawing Room, Turbine Steamer
3 - Saloon, Turbine Steamer
4 - Steamer alongside at Fishguard
Fishguard Route Series back
Docks Series - 1922
Thought to have been issued in 1922, or possibly as late as 1923/4, this series of twelve photographic cards was printed by The Autotype Company Ltd. of London. The picture side carried the name of the printer with the title of the card being printed beneath the image and Great Western Railway underneath.The address side bore no mention of the GWR or company crest, but each did carry a brief description of the port illustrated at the top of the correspondence panel.~~ Click or tap on any card back thumbnail to see a magnified version ~~
1 - Vessel loading coal at Penarth Dock
Penarth Dock and Harbour back
4 - Aerial View - Alexandra Docks, Newport
5 - General View of Coal Hoists at Alexandra Dock, Newport
Newport Docks back
10 - General View, King's Dock, Swansea
Swansea Docks back
Other cards in the series
- 2 Aerial View of Barry Docks
- 3 Aerial View - No.2 Dock, Barry
- 6 Aerial View - Millbay Docks, Plymouth
- 7 Aerial View - Queen Alexandra Dock, Cardiff
- 8 General View of Queen Alexandra Dock,Cardiff
- 9 Aerial View - Roath Dock and Basin, Cardiff
- 11 Oil Tankers at Swansea Docks
- 12 Port Talbot, Loading Coal by Electric Belt Conveyor
Cathedrals - Second Series - 1925
A further series of Cathedrals cards was published in 1925. These cards did not carry a series number on the address side, otherwise they were identical in all respects to those issued as Series 12 with Published by the Great Western Railway, Paddington Station, London, W.2 and Felix J. C. Pole, General Manager together with a brief history and description of the cathedral illustrated being printed in the address panel on the back. It is not known how many different cards comprised the series but there are believed to have been possibly as many as 30.
~~ Click or tap on any card back thumbnail to see a magnified version ~~
The Nave, Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey, back
Llandaff Cathedral, West Front
Llandaff Cathedral, back
Watching Chamber of the Shrine of St.Frideswide, Oxford,
Christ Church Chapel
Oxford Cathedral, back
Wells Cathedral, The Nave
Wells Cathedral back
The Western Land Series - 1938
This set of 8 colour postcards, based on paintings by Leonard Richmond, was published at the the same time as a free booklet entitled 'The Western Land'. They were produced by W.G.Briggs & Co., Ltd., Engravers, Photographers and Artists of London and carried their name and company logo together with the image title on the address side. Whilst the GWR company crest or name was not included, each card had printed down the left hand side To learn more of this delightful district write for free booklet "The Western Land" to the Superintendant of the Line, G.W.R., Paddington Station, London, W.2.. These cards were unusual in that they were larger than standard, being 5½"x4⅛" in size.Leonard Richmond was a popular and well regarded artist of the time. At least two sets of postcards featuring his paintings of the Channel Islands
Channel Islands Series A
St. Aubin's Castle, Jersey
Author's collection were published by W.G.Briggs & Co. themselves. The Southern Railway published four sets of eight postcards during 1939, 'Channel Ports', 'Bournemouth', 'North Cornwall'
Southern Railway
Low Tide, Padstow Harbour
Author's collection and 'North Devon', each set selling for 1/- (one shilling). With the exception of the 'Channel Ports' set, all these postcards printed by Briggs were the same large size and, other than the addition of railway company branding where appropriate, were similary worded. The 'Channel Ports' series promoted Eight routes to the continent by Southern Railway and were later overprinted to be used by the office of the Continental Superintendant of British Railways at Victoria Station As well as postcards, his paintings were used on railway posters and in 1929 the Southern Railway had published a book, 'Come Abroad With Us', promoting travel to Europe and which contained fifteen of his paintings.
3 - Mousehole, near Penzance
3 - Posted to London, franked 'Taunton Aug 1946'
Other cards in the series
- 1 St. Michael's Mount
- 2 Newlyn, near Penzance
- 4 Abbey Walk, Penzance
- 5 Morrab Gardens, Penzance
- 6 St. Ives Boats
- 7 The Approach to Lamcriva Cove
- 8 Porthcurnow, showing Logan Rock