Who was "F S" and did he work in St Albans with "Karaktus"?

Sometimes when you are doing research you get carried away with a side issue - and my recent investigation into the identity of a post card artist signing himself  "F S" is a good example.

Card by Karaktus

Some years ago I discovered some unusual comic cards published around 1908  by the short-lived Crown Publishing Company of St Albans and drawn by "Karaktus." As a result I have so far identified almost all his designs (I have details and in most cases copies, of 28 out of 30 different cards) However I made no progress in discovering the identity of "Karaktus."

Card by "F S"

In my research I discovered that the Crown Publishing Company also produced cards in the "Crown Series" some of which were signed "F S" and it seemed likely "F S" and "Karaktus" knew each other (unless they  were the same artist using two different pen names,) Perhaps, I thought that if I could identify "F S" (who I now realized has some links with the St Albans company) it would lead me to "Karaktus".

"FS" card from USA

My first online searches showed that the majority of post card sellers made no attempt to identity "F S," while those who did came up with either "F Stone" (who signed a small number of cards published in about 1906) or "Fred Spurgin." (a very well known post card artist whose cards started to appear in about 1910, including many produced in the First World War). However the work of these two artists were stylistically quite different to that of "F S."  In addition "F S" cards involved many different named publishers (or none), and were not always signed - although in some cases the same card was issued, with  or without signature, by a different publisher. In many cases the cards were not used (so no postal date), and often the publisher information on the back was not immediately available.

What was going on? I started a comprehensive search over a number of months and have now identified well over 100 different images - and I am still no wiser as to who he is - except that based on style of artwork and subject treatment I think "F S" is unlikely to be "Fred Spurgin".

Unsigned card probably by "F S"

What I guess happened is the "F S" was a freelance artist, who started to produce comic postcards for the London View Company in 1906 - shortly before the company closed down. Following the closure of LVC he was probably involved in setting up the short lived Crown Publishing Company in St Albans in 1908-9. By about 1910 some of his cards were being published in the USA and the same images also turned up in the UK at about the same time - often with no publisher name..

For more Information see

Comparison of "F S" images with other artists

A summary of "F S" post cards. (link from above)

Unsigned - by F S ?

If you have any information which would help me identify "F S" or "Karaktus" or the subjects, publishers and earliest postal dates of their cards I will be grateful. If there is sufficient interest when I have time I will add a catalogue of card series, individual card titles, publishers and dates, for the benefit of other collectors.

Note on images: Many of the images come directly from the web (particularly auction sites) and I have deliberately reduced the image size to thumbs 250 pixels wide. (If I already own a copy clicking a blue edged image will give a much larger image). For cards currently on sale you could start by searching ebay collectibles using:

postcard ("F S", "F Stone", "Fred Stone") (comic, artist, social) 

At the time of posting this search identified 22 "F S" cards with a typical price of about £4.00

The London View Company and its possible connections with Hertfordshire and Karaktus.

In the first few years of the 20th century there was an explosion of postcard collecting - and many firms rushed to the market. One of these was the London View Company, which was founded in 1905, expanded rapidly - became a limited company in 1906 and failed in 1907 or 8. While it published view cards from all over the country the only ones I have so far traced relating to Hertfordshire are of Watford.

Swiss Cottage, Watford - London View Co.

Evacustes Phipson (1854-1931) Watercolour Artist & Anarchist

St Peter's Green, St Albans, 1917

Some years ago I published a page about the Hertfordshire watercolour paintings of E. A. Phipson and recently I have had several emails about him, and the Phipson family.

I decided to investigate further and discovered that he had strong socialist views and was involved in new ways of living - including an unsuccessful colony in Australia, and a proposed new town in Mexico which did not use money. He was also connected with the pioneering new town in Hertfordshire - Letchworth Garden City - although it was not socialist enough for him.

I felt he deserved a more extensive biography and have started work on it. There are a number of leads that need to be followed up so I have posted the first part of the biography, dealing with his family, on the main web site together with outline notes and a time line of his travels around England and the world. The idea is to update the pages as more information comes in. If you can help fill in the gaps I will be very grateful.

MORE

Another unusual Post Card from St Albans artist, KARAKTUS, c1909

St Albans

Post cards

During 1908/9 The Crown Publishing Co., St Albans, published 30 unusual "comic" cards by the artist Karaktus. I now have identified 26 different cards and would like to identify the cards numbered 6, 12, 19, 21 and 22. In addition I am looking for any clues as to the identity of Karaktus.

See all the cards so far identified HERE

Painted Post Card Views of St Albans circa 1905 by Sid Gardner

Oilette

St Albans

Sidney Valentine Gardner (1869-1957) was an artist associate with the Straithes (North Yorkshire) group of artists, exhibiting at the Royal Academy and elsewhere. A search suggests that his paintings were rarely used for post cards. However he was responsible for a series of attractive Oilette post cards published by Raphael Tuck, reference "St Albans 7752". I have created a page with five of these views but suspect that they were issued as a set of six. The five I have show:

• Holywell Hill (with a very early car)
• The Market (with goods laid out for sale)
• The Abbey (the tower and part of the east end)
• St Michael's Bridge (with horse and cart using the ford)
• Sopwell Ruins.

Can you help me by identifying (and possibly supplying) a digital image of the missing card in the series.

Who was "Sydbie" - Another St Albans card has turned up

Sydbie is a water colour artist, identity unknown, whose "Sydbie Series" post cards are easily recognised because of their very distinctive backs.

There appears to have been a set of six: views of historic features in the Barnet area issued in about 1905.

• Hadley High Stone
• The Old Oak, Hadley
• Latimer's Elm, Hadley Woods
• Ye Old Psychic Well, Barnet
• The Old Red Lion from Barnet Hill
• Windmill (Barnet Gate)

I have been looking for any other cards for years and found that he painted two cards of St Albans published by Boots the Chemists in the Pelham Series. These showed Gorhambury Ruins and Sopwell Nunnery. 

Much to my surprise a few days ago I found another "Sydbie Series" card - showing St Albans Abbey - with a more conventional back. So are there more water colour views by him in existence - perhaps of St Albans. Let me know if you know of any.

Click here to see all his post cards.

Alice Des Clayes pictures of Berkhamsted

Places

Berkhamsted High Street

Alice Des Clayes studied at the Bushey School of Art before moving to Canada. I have posted three of her paintings of Berkhamsted. These were published as postcards by Suttley and Silverlock, a London publishing firm established in 1915, who also published a series of post cards of Chorleywood by Maud Huntsman.

Did the Artist's Daughter go to this School?

In April I mentioned an unusual house, Caldecote Towers, Aldenham, which became a girls boarding school - See This Crazy Looking House became a School.

Caldecote Towers - View over the Golf Course

I have now located two post cards, one showing the gardens in summer, the other showing the house in winter. Both are from paintings by Charles Essenhigh Corke. Charles was an artist who lived in Sevenoaks, Kent. He painted many views for the post card publishers, J. Salmon, but almost without exception these views were of Kent or other southern counties.

The choice of subject seems strange if all Charles was doing was to produce a number of views of Hertfordshire - and the subjects make more sense if you consider the cards as "Art cards" where the location is not very important.  Perhaps it is relevant that he had two daughters who could have been at the school at about the time the cards were published.  Of course this is speculation but it could explain his interest in the area.  

Was "Sydbie" a Hertfordshire painter

Sopwell Nunnery, St Albans, by "Sydbie"

In about 1905 a series of six distinctive post cards, painted by "Sydbie" appeared showing historic views of the Barnet area appeared - and that seemed to only mention I could find of him. (A Google image search only shows the post cards I show on my web site.)

   Now I have discovered two further post cards, one of Sopwell Nunnery, and the other of the ruined house at Gorhambury which have his signature. They were published in the Pelham series by Boots, the chemists, possibly about 1910.

   I am wondering if he (or she) was a Hertfordshire artist, and whether other works by "Sydbie" exists.