From "The First in Canada"

The Canadian Pacific Railway follows the path of the Fraser River for a very

long distance. Therefore, I cannot pinpoint the exact location where this picture was taken. However, I can tell you that it was taken in British Columbia; the Fraser River flows for 1,375 kilometers, all of it being in British Columbia. The Canadian Pacific Railway follows part of its path through the mountains. You can see that this train is on the side of mountain as it travels along the rails.

The picture is not the most exciting thing about this post card. What excites me is that this post card was printed and published by one of the first companies in Canada to print picture post cards.

William Warwick was a publisher, printer, and bookbinder. His company became the official printer for the Provincial Government of Ontario. It was one of the first to print postcards in Canada producing over 4,000 tinted halftone view-cards in line block with a dull pallet. Many of their card sets also have very decorative borders and some with crests. The business was destroyed by fire in 1904 but they rebuilt and continued publishing. Following William Warwick’s death, the name of the business was changed to “Wm. Warwick & Son”, the firm consisting of Mrs. Warwick and eldest son Guy. In 1885, when the second son, George R. Warwick was admitted to the partnership, Mrs. Warwick retired and the firm name became “Warwick & Sons”. Arthur F. Rutter was taken into the partnership in 1886 and Charles E. Warwick, the youngest son, was also made a member of the firm. In 1893 the firm name was changed from “Warwick & Sons” to “Warwick Bros. & Rutter”. The company existed from 1848 to 1933; its last address was on King Street near Spadina in Toronto.

This is what one of their post cards looked like on the back. Notice that it cost two cents to send the post card all way to Massachusetts.

The Fraser Canyon in British Columbia, Canada

The Fraser Canyon is the gorge in the Rocky Mountains through which the Fraser River Flows. During the early 1880s, construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) began in order to connect British Columbia to the rest of Canada. With the completion of the CPR in 1886, rail transport followed the north side of the Fraser River for 84 kilometers. Heading westward, the Canadian Pacific Railway trains first pick up the Fraser River near Lytton, where the Thompson River joins the Fraser River. The tracks follow the canyon all way to where it broadens into the Fraser Valley at Hope.

This post card was published by Warwick Bros. & Rutter.

The firm of Warwick Bros & Rutter published over 7,024 picture postcards during what is now called “The Golden Age of Postcards” (1901-1913). In 1847 William Warwick left Montreal for Woodstock, Ontario, where he opened a small book and stationary shop. In the 1850s he added a bookbinding facility and began to manufacture and publish schoolbooks and others. In the 1860s he developed his wholesale business, but finding Woodstock a limited market, moved his business to Toronto in 1868. In 1880, while driving through The Exhibition grounds in Toronto, Warwick had an accident in which he was thrown from his carriage and injured so severely that he died within a few weeks. The loss of the head of the business was a serious blow. But, Mr. Warwick had surrounded himself with able and loyal associates, and these people took up where he left off. Mrs. Rosina Warwick, who had proven herself a worthy and capable assistant to her husband became the head of the business assisted by the eldest son, Guy F. Warwick. Arthur F. Rutter, who had joined the staff as a lad in 1873, assumed charge of the manufacturing departments. Following William Warwick’s death, the name of the business was changed to “Wm. Warwick & Son”, the firm consisting of Mrs. Warwick and eldest son Guy. In 1885, when the second son, George R. Warwick was admitted to the partnership, Mrs. Warwick retired and the firm name became “Warwick & Sons”. Arthur F. Rutter was taken into the partnership in 1886 and Charles E. Warwick, the youngest son, was also made a member of the firm. In 1893 the firm name was changed from “Warwick & Sons” to “Warwick Bros. & Rutter”. “For some years, the firm made a specialty of the production of picture post cards. It was the first Canadian firm to enter the field with “Made in Canada” coloured cards, leading the way in three color and four color printing processes and making available the highest class of color printing at a popular price.” Warwick Brothers & Rutter was one of many companies in the stationery and printing industries affected by the Toronto fire of 1904. The firm, located at 68-70 Front Street West was the Ontario Government printer, and copies of many older government documents were lost in the fire. After the fire, the company built a new facility at King Street and Spadina Avenue; today, it is a Youth Hostel.

Hybrid in More Ways than One

We have gone back to the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, Canada.

This is a picture of a passenger train in the Fraser River Valley. One can see the river in the valley on the right hand side of the post card. There isn’t enough detail to be able to say anything about the engine itself. There is only one engine and it looks like it is pulling a baggage car and three passenger cars. It is on quite the steep slope and the rocks on the slope hint that this part of the railroad was dynamited to be able to get the two parts of Canada united by the transcontinental railroad.

This is a hybrid card. The front of the card looks very much like those printed before March 1, 1907. The printer kindly left a bit of room for the sender to put a short message to the right side of the picture before posting the card.

But, when we look at the back, we see that it was actually printed after March 1, 1907. There is space on the left of the card for the message and the right hand side of the card clearly states: “THIS SPACE FOR ADDRESS ONLY.” It is just under the words Post Card at the top. While the card was printed in Canada, the Canadians could not escape the influence of the American postal system.

Middlesex county Woburn was incorporated in 1642. It can be found near Boston in Middlesex County almost on the eastern coast of Massachusetts. It is near Horn Pond, which is one of the sources of the Mystic River. That is where this card was posted, and yet it has a Canadian 2 cent stamp on it. That makes it again a hybrid: Canadian card and stamp mailed in the USA. Amelia sent this message to her friend, Celina: “Hello Celina, Am enjoying myself very much. This is some country. Love, Amelia.” Celina lived in Montague City, Massachusetts. It is found in the northwest part of the state in Franklin County. It is a very young town, being incorporated in 1754.

The post card was published and printed by Warwick Bro’s. & Rutter, Limited out of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. The firm of Warwick Bros & Rutter published over 7,024 picture postcards during what is now called “The Golden Age of Postcards” (1901-1913).

For some years, the firm made a specialty of the production of picture post cards. It was the first Canadian firm to enter the field with “Made in Canada” coloured cards, leading the way in three color and four color printing processes and making available the highest class of color printing at a popular price.

Source: “Warwick Bros & Rutter Limited. The Story of a Business 1848-1923"