1895 to 1898: ETW DENNIS MINI PHOTOGRAPHIC & 1900/1901 REGULAR ,COURT SIZE PICTURE CARDS

AND Sudan 1899/1902

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   Court size picture cards were permitted in January 1895. Dennis took advantage of this almost immediately in addition to  producing the "Printed in Saxony" coloured set

      ETW Dennis produced mini photographic court size cards, from 1895 onwards. The first known is for  Ventnor I.O.W  P/U 18th July 1895.and the second known is Margate 30th July 1895  The third  1895 known  is for Tower Bridge, London ( P/U on 3rd Dec  1895). The  1895 London card does not seem to be  in a set, there seems to be   just the one PPC  for Tower Bridge. This is possibly  a "one-off" to celebrate the opening of this bridge in 1894. There  may  also be a "Newcastle slant" to it, as Armstrong of Newcastle designed and manufactured the impressive Tower Bridge raising mechanism   

                 These mini photographic cards were also produced for Brighton and other South Coast resorts. They start in 1895, but seem much more available from 1896 on. There seems to be 4 cards to a set. (see Ryde, with 2 cards on cream, 1 on blue and 1 on pink card). . The cards on this  page show sustained Dennis PPC activity from 1895 onwards.

 The first London set  is as late as 1898, which is slightly puzzling to me. Pre 1900, Dennis seems very North Country and Newcastle focussed

Further postally used 1895/6 examples sought, especially 1895 (either to buy or photocopy/email  appreciated)

gtwebber@guernsey.net

  I give below  a partial listing of these ETW Dennis mini-photographic cards  to give a general idea of the "when & where" of this series (roughly 1895 to 1898, South of England). I would like the chance to buy anything  printed in red italic either pu or npu, as well as any mini photo cards not on this list.

(NOTE: List of ETWD  regular court size that I hold   given at bottom of page)

By 1898 Dennis was publishing regular court size cards with larger photographs, typical card illustrated opposite (Houses of Parliament) . Note the explicit ETWD initials

The same photographic negative of the Houses of Parliament  was used for the court card and then the regular full size card.

 By 1900 ETW Dennis had moved to full size cards. (a few of the court cards listed below were issued, with the design unchanged, as full size cards) . Some of this series have local publishers names on them. The "starred" locations I believe were photographed by ETWD himself and have his explicit initials on them. Other photographs in the series have indications of having been "bought in" from other photographers.

It would seem that ETWD was a keen photographer, witness his Sudan 1898 photographs and the GB * ones below. .

 Below,

 Non GB activities

An ETWD photo (initials by leftmost soldier's boot) taken in the Sudan .   Photographed , published and printed by Dennis  as a PPC  for sale in the Sudan circa 1902 (Phil Mason collection). This is one of a Sudan set, some photographs were taken in Sept 1898 , just after the battle of Omdurman and the rest after the post War Sudan reconstruction, probably Dec 1901 or thereabouts. I am still not quite sure how E.T.W. Dennis got to Khartoum in 1898  immediately after the battle, he must have gone with some civilian observers? But which ones? Armstrong of Newcastle, the leading British big gun maker , would certainly have sent observers to assess the effect of a new explosive being used for the first time in this Sudan campaign, Some photographic record would have been needed of the effects of this explosive.

  In addition to the Sudan cards, Dennis was busy in South Africa.  Arthur Roberts has sent me photocopies  of  explicitly initialled   ETWD cards for South Africa. (Some with typical U/B Dennis 1902 backs). By 1902, Dennis was actively exporting cards. The Boer war was from 11 Oct 1899 to 31 May 1902. Armstrong ,the Newcastle ;leading gun maker ,would have certainly sent an observation group, particularly with a new explosive in use, It is possible that Dennis went with this group. Sudan and South Africa are the only Dennis published/printed  foreign cards at this time, it is indeed odd that they coincided geographically with the two war areas of the time?!

 I would greatly appreciate details of any further Dennis NON Great Britain cards up to about 1906 say .(Preferably with explicit "ETWD")  This area needs research.

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