SANTA CATALINA ISLAND POST CARDS: CURT TEICH
Curt Teich Company (1898-1978)
Curt Teich (1877-1974) was working as a lithographer in Lobenstein, Germany when he emigrated to Chicago in 1895. He started his own firm in 1898 concentrating on newspaper and magazine printing. While he was an early publisher of postcards, he did not begin printing them in number himself until 1908. As his competition dwindled his sales expanded, and his American factories would eventually turn out more postcards than any other in the United States. They they are best known for their wide range of advertising and view-cards of North America.
1900-1908 Cards numbered 1 to 14989. While the Curt Teich Company is largely known for manufacturing postcards in the United States, a number of their earliest cards in the form of tinted collotypes were contracted out through German printers. They have no letter prefixes or fancy names, just the Curt Teich Company name and logo.
By the 1920s they were producing so many postcards with borders that they became recognized as a type dubbed White Border Cards. Curt Teich was an early pioneer of the offset printing process having started using offset presses in 1907. It would take a number of years before he had presses made to his satisfaction, and many more years for him to perfect the method. His innovations in this printing technique directly led to the production of what we now call Linens by the early 1930s. While they produced many cards during World War Two, they also aided the war effort by printing many military maps.
The Teich Company became the world's largest printer of view and advertising postcards. Teich is best known for its "Greetings From" postcards with their big letters, vivid colors, and bold style.
Curt and his wife Anna Niether Teich lived in Glencoe, Illinois. They had five children — Curt Jr., Walter, Louise, Lawrence, and Ralph. Lawrence was killed in Bataan. Although Curt Teich eventually turned management of the firm over to his son, he remained active in company operations throughout its history. After his death in 1974 at age 96, the family business was sold to Regensteiner Publishers who continued to print cards at the Chicago plant until 1978. Afterwards the rights to the company name and processes were sold to the Irish firm John Hinde Ltd. Their California subsidiary now prints cards under the name John Hinde Curteich, Inc.
The family donated the archives of the company to the Lake County Discovery Museum in Illinois, so they would be available for future generations to be used for research purposes.
- C. T. American Art Published by Island Pharmacy Co., AVALON, Catalina Island, Calif. Chicago (Wrigley Flag)
- C. T. American Art Colored Chicago (Wrigley Flag) Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Avalon, Catalina Island, Calif.
- C. T. American Art Colored Chicago (Wrigley Flag)
- C. T. Art Colortone
- C. T. American
- C. T. Art Colored
- C. T. Photochrom
- Santa Catalina Island Post Cards: Curt Teich
A-33693
The Seals at Santa Catalina Island, Cal.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
postmarked July 2, 1915
[original in SCIF archives]
A-60446
Glass bottom Row Boats and diver,
showing Sugar Loaf Submarine Gardens
Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal.
C. T. Photochrom
[original in SCIF archives]
A-69273
Hotel St. Catherine,
Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal.
C. T. Photochrom
Published by Catalina Novelty Company
[original in SCIF archives]
A-69274
Main Front View of Avalon
Catalina Island, Cal.
C. T. Photochrom
Published by Catalina Novelty Company
[original in SCIF archives]
A-82497
Hotel St. Catherine,
Santa Catalina Island, California
C[urt] T[eich] American Art
published by Island Pharmacy Co. Catalina Island Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
A-82500
Canvas Cottage City,
Santa Catalina Island, California
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
A-82984
Steamer Avalon,
Santa Catalina Island, Cal.
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
A-83856
Avalon Bay, Main View, Catalina Island, Calif.
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
90202
Sugar Loaf and Casino, Avalon Bay, Catalina Island, Calif.
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
A-90206
Avalon, Catalina Island, California
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
A-98860
New steamer Catalina on the run to Catalina Island
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Avalon, Catalina Island
[original in SCIF archives]
R-49045
Glass Bottom Row Boats and Diver, showing Sugar Loaf.
Submarine Gardens, Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
©1914 by Baker Photographic Co., Avalon, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
R-51315
Avalon, from Sugarloaf.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
©1910 by P. V. Reyes, Avalon, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
R-51316
Avalon, Main View, from Park.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
R-51317
Avalon, Catalina Island.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
R-51318
Sugar Loaf, Catalina Island, Cal.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
R-55099
Sugar Loaf by Moonlight, Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
R-55102
Seal Rocks, Catalina Island, Cal.
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
[original in SCIF archives]
R-55105
Sugar Loaf, Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
R-55109
Golf Links, Avalon, Catalina Island, Cal
C[urt] T[eich] Photochrom
Catalina Novelty Co., Catalina Island, Cal.
[original in SCIF archives]
90208
Residence of Wm. Wrigley, Jr.
Catalina Island, Calif.
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co., Avalon
postmarked April 25, 1928
[original in SCIF archives]
93458
Viewing Submarine Gardens through Glass Bottom Boat,
Catalina Island, Calif.
C. T. American Art
Published by Island Pharmacy Co, Avalon
postmarked July 1924
[original in SCIF archives]
112069
Sightseeing Coach at Avalon, Catalina Island, California
C. T. American Art
Wilmington Flag
[original in SCIF archives]118648
On the Links Golf links,
Avalon, Catalina Island
C. T. American Art
[original in SCIF archives]
Aquaplaning at Avalon,
Santa Catalina, California
C[urt] T[eich] American Art Colored
Wilmington Transportation Company flag on verso
[original in SCIF archives]
7A-H1498
Happy's Club Catalina Bar
C. T. Art Colortone
postmarked Sept. 27, 1939
[original in SCIF archives]
