Dating Nevada Post Cards Printed by The Albertype Company – Vegasarchive.com aka Vegasrecord.com aka Captainhistory.com aka Bigfootnote.com

(This is the first in a series of stories and checklists on Albertype post cards with Nevada views. More than 350 Nevada post cards, printed by Albertype, have been identified, with covering the period between 1906 and 1932. It is estimated there are at least fifty more. Future stories will cover each of Nevada communities and businesses that have an Albertype connection.

For towns like Las Vegas, and Fallon, and the Ely/McGill area Albertype printed cards provide an important look at the early growth of these communities.0

Dating Nevada Post Cards Printed by The Albertype Company

Dating post card views of Nevada printed by the Albertype Company of Brooklyn, New York.

There are two primary elements related to the dates of the images on the post cards.

The date the photograph used on the post card, was taken and the date the post card was printed.

The second element provides clues to uncover the first element. The printing date provides a ‘not later than’ date of the photograph.

Clues as to when the photograph was taken are also provided by the postmark, and sometimes by the sender of the post card.

The time frame as to when the post card was printed can often be provided by the different backs used to print the post card.

With that information, and hopefully a post mark, the search for clues on the image itself can be, hopefully, narrowed down to a few years.

Another clue as to the date of the image is found with the credit line of the local business that ordered the post cards from Albertype.

The opening, closing, or the change in ownership of the small business that ordered the cards from Albertype, provides another date fact.

For example, from the day the first drug store opened after the community of Las Vegas was created on the weekend of May 15, 1905, the business, over the next decade, changed hands several times.

Each time, the new owner would order new and updated views of the city.

At this point, there are nine known Albertype backs covering the period between 1906 and the early 1930’s.

The earliest known post cards of Nevada printed by Albertype occurred in 1906 during post cards’ undivided back era.

The only known Nevada views printed by Albertype with an undivided back were produced for the Denison News company of Oakland, California.

Starting in the late 1880’s though 1912, Denison had the on train, and depot newsstand franchise with the Union Pacific between Ogden, Utah, and San Francisco.

The primary source of this information are post cards with views of Nevada printed by Albertype for Nevada businesses.

The code

Dating Albertype Post Cards based on changes to the back of the cards

Using a simple, “at” equals Albertype, “B” equals back, “t” equals type, and the number equals the chronological order the backs were printed you have “atBt1”.

Other letters, “g”, “p” and “c” are also used. “g” stands for green, “p” stands for a publisher, and “c” stands for a caption.

aBt Albertype back types.

atBt1 1906

undivided back
Words and lines printed with green ink on back of post card.
The words POST CARD center of back of post card.
“THIS SIDE IS FOR THE ADDRESS ONLY.” Located bottom left side of back of post card.
Stamp box. “Place Stamp Here. Domestic 1 Ct Foreign 2 Cts. THE ALBERTYPE CO. BROOKLYN, N.Y.”
The cards with the green backs, both the undivided and the divided with the same images were part of a ten pack of postcards sold by the Denison News agents, on trains and railroad depots.
Known postmark-Palisade, Nevada. April 24, 1906 postmark.

atB2 1907

Black and white image and printing
A version with green ink for back, “atB2g” is found in a ten pack of post cards solid on trains and depots run by the Denison News agent company.
“Place Stamp Here. Domestic 1 Ct Foreign 2 Cts. THE ALBERTYPE CO. BROOKLYN, N.Y.”
“Post Card” above a “double bar” T shape that runs down the center of the back.
“This space may be used for Correspondence” on the left side of the card.
“This space is for the Address only” on the right side of the card.
Known postmarks with this type back, 5-3-1907, July 10 1908, 1908, 8-17-1908, 9-6-1908, 11-17-1908, 12-21-1908, 11-2-1909, 1-6-1909, and 4-3-1909.

atB3 1908

”STAMP DOMESTIC 1c. FOREIGN, 2c. THE ALBERTYPE CO.” in BROOKLYN, N.Y.” in stamp box.
“POST CARD” Upper center. All upper case, P and C taller than the other letters.
Below the words Post Card, “CORRESPONDENCE” is left of center “ADDRESS ONLY” right of center.
A straight vertical line extends between the words correspondence and address down the center of the back.
Known post marks. 8-20-1908, 8-22-1908, 12-6-1908, 12-10-1908, 12-19-1908,12-20-1908, 12-21-1908, 12-29-1908, , 1-5-1909, 3-10-1909, 3-10-1909, 1909-15-09, 4-6-1909, 4-15-1909, 4-5-1909, 4-27-1909, 5-21-1909, 5-12-1909, 8-10-1909, 1910, 1910, 1-4-1910, 1-14-1910,2-20-1910, 4-6-1910, 6-8-1910, 6-15-1910, 8-15-1910, 6-18-1910, 9-23-1910,12-1-1910, 12-12-1910, 12,18-1910, 2-9-1911, 2-22-1911, 4-11-1911, 5-1-1911, 5-1-1911, 5-14-1911, 7-14-1911, 8-31-1911, 9-6-1912, 9-7-9111, 10-16-1911, 11-3-1911, 11-10-1911, 1-1-1912, 1-16- 1912, 2-26-1912, 9-15-1912, 2-17-1913, 3-5-1913, 4-2-1913, 7-5-1913, 7-17-1913, 8-29-1913, 8-29-1913, 8-30-1913, 9-1-1913, 2-2-1914, 6-28-1916, 9-18-1921,

atB4 1912

“POSTAGE Domestic 1c Foreign 2c THE ALBERTYPE CO.” in BROOKLYN, N.Y.” in stamp box.
“POST CARD”
“T” shape divider, center back. Partial “T” showing space between the two parts of the T.
Below stamp box and the ‘T’ “MESSAGE ON THIS SIDE.” on left side. On right side, “FOR ADDRESS ONLY.”
Known postmarks, 1-28-1912, 2-1-1912, 2-4-1912, 4-25-1912, 6-14-1912, 8-5-1912, 8-7-1912, 8-10-1912, 8-29-1912, 9-2-1912, 9-12-1912, 9-21-1912, 9-25-1912, 10-4-1912, 12-13-1912, 2-24-13, 5-8-1913,

Partial “T”

atB5 1912-1913

“POSTAGE Domestic 1c Foreign 2c THE ALBERTYPE CO.” in BROOKLYN, N.Y.” in stamp box.
“POST CARD”
“T” shape divider, center back. Full “T” no space between the two parts of the T.
Above the ‘T’ is the phrase “MESSAGE ON THIS SIDE.” on left side, and on right side, “FOR ADDRESS ONLY.”
Known postmarks, 11-3-1912, 11—11-1912, 1-1-1913. 2-18-1913, 4-25-1913, 10-30-1913.

Full “T”

atB6 1913-1914

“POSTAGE Domestic 1c Foreign 2c THE ALBERTYPE CO. BROOKLYN N.Y.” in same box.
“POST CARD” Upper center of back.
“MESSAGE ON THIS SIDE” on left side of back of post card.
“FOR ADDRESS ONLY” on right side of back of post card.
Straight line down center of back. Line ends below “Message” and “address” level.
Known post marks. 3-15-1913, 6-9-1913, 8-10-1913, 2-2-14, 2-10-1914, 3-6- 1914, 3-12-1915,

atB7 1917

This back is found on “hand-colored”, and black and white views.
No stamp box.
“POST CARD” upper center of back.
“Post Cards of Quality – The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.” Vertically down center of back of post card.
“THIS SPACE FOR MESSAGE.” bottom left side of back of post card.
“THIS SPACE FOR ADDRESS.” Bottom right side of back of post card.
Known postmarks, 2-11-1917, 3-3- 1917, 2-11-1917, 6-5-1917, 9-14-1917, 1-18-1918, 4-27, 8-17-18, 1-2-1919, 2-8-1919, 4-28-1919, 8-15-1919, 2-2-1921, 12-22-1919, 11-9-1919, 5-27-1920, 7-4-1924, 6-8-1925

atB7p

Same back as atB7, with the addition of a publisher’s credit line on the left edge of the back of the post card.
The publisher’s credit line began appearing late in 1919-early 1920.
Black and White.
No stamp box.
“POST CARD” upper center of back.
“Post Cards of Quality – The Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.” Vertically down center of back of post card.
“THIS SPACE FOR MESSAGE.” Bottom left side of back of post card.
“THIS SPACE FOR ADDRESS.” Bottom right side of back of post card.