Postcards

J B White Ltd

Dundee

Postcard Numbering

Numbering from 1922

J B white started allocating numbers to their postcards in 1922.  The number ranges they used were 1-9999, A1-A9999 and B1-B9999.  Not all of these numbers were used, and some numbers were re-used, being allocated to different views when the the company stopped printing some of their older views.  [Picture Postcard Monthly, Oct 2007, p.51.]

The numbers on J B  White postcards, at least for Portobello and Joppa, appear to be grouped by 'place' rather than by 'year of publication'.  See the comments from Alastair White below.

 

Views of Portobello and Joppa

1.

Derek Robertson wrote

"I also have a few J B White "Best of all Series" postcards.  They are not sepia cards, however. None are posted but they are of places in my home town and I think I can put approximate dates to them.

- 7235: The entrance pillars to the Victoria Park and promenade

-  7237:  The outdoor bathing Pool

-  7263:  Queens Drive at the West Common

The subjects of these postcards were all completed sometime in 1934, the bathing pool opening in July of 1934. (Was it not 1936?  -  Peter Stubbs.) Having seen many images of these places from various time periods I'd say they were all taken very soon after completion."

Derek Robertson, Arbroath

2.

Archie Foley wrote:

"I have 13 J B White postcards of Portobello and Joppa. 

Archie's photos are:

-  A3303:  Portobello Bathing Pool (logo =  1931-44 style)

-  A3307  A corner of Portobello Bathing Pool (logo = 1936-45 style)

-  A3320:  The call of the seaside (logo = 1948-55 style)

-  A3327:  John Street, Joppa (1950s?)

-  A3329:  Old Salt Pans, Joppa (1950s?)

-  A3330:  A Peep of Joppa (1950s?)

-  A3331:  St Philip's Church, Joppa (1950s?)

-  A3332:  The Promenade, Joppa (1950s?)

-  A3333:  Joppa multiview (1950s?)

-  A3334:  Joppa Road, looking east (1950s?)

-  A3335   Abercorn Park, Joppa (1950s?)

-  A3353:  Joppa Road, looking west (1960s)

-  A3356  John Street, Joppa (1960s)

Archie Foley, Joppa, Edinburgh:  July 6, 2007

Archie suggested the likely dates of all the postcards above, except the first three.  I have supplied the dates for the first three from the logos on the backs of the cards.

It's interesting to see that the numbers of the Joppa postcards are in a fairly narrow range, even though the cards were published over two or three decades.

3.

Alastair White wrote:

"The postcards of Portobello are numbered A3301-A3324.

The Joppa cards run from A3325 -A3335; and A3353-A3356."

Thank you to Alastair for the details above.  So there are another 24 postcards of Portobello and Joppa for Archie Foley (above) to find!

Alastair White, Northumberland:  July 24, 2007

[Alastair White is the grandson of J B White, the founder of the company]

4.

Alastair White wrote:

JB White cards with Anonymous Backs

Alastair also gave me an interesting comment as to why this postcard of Portobello included a J B White number (A3320) but no publisher's name.

Valentine Postcard  -  The Call of the Seaside, Portobello ©

Alastair wrote:

"Yes, there are quite a few J B White  cards with  anonymous backs.  These were (a bit ingenuously I think) issued for a new customer, whereby an old  customer down the road might be fooled into believing that he still had exclusivity on J B White cards."

Alastair White, Northumberland:  July 24, 2007

[Alastair White is the grandson of J B White, the founder of the company]

 

Views by RA Rayner

I still have many views by RA Rayner, taken in and around Edinburgh, to be added to the web site, when I can find time to add them.   All these views  are numbered.

 

 

J B White (Dundee)

Thumbnail Images

Postcard Series

Company History

Coloured Postcard History

Trademarks

Postcard Numbering

 

 

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