A Detroit company with a Swiss process
In the 1890s, a Detroit firm acquired the American rights to the Photochrom process, developed in Switzerland, which transferred a black and white photographic negative onto lithographic stones and printed it in many layers of color. The results looked remarkably like color photographs at a time when true color photography was impractical. The company, known first as the Detroit Photographic Company and later as the Detroit Publishing Company, sold large color prints and, as the postcard craze took off, enormous numbers of postcards.
William Henry Jackson
William Henry Jackson, famous for his photographs of the American West, including early images of the Yellowstone region, joined the company in the late 1890s, bringing his huge collection of negatives. His work, along with that of other photographers, gave the company views of landscapes, cities, railroads, ships and American life from coast to coast.
Phostint
The company marketed its color postcards under the trade name Phostint, often printed on the back. Phostint cards have soft, natural color, with fine detail and subtle tones that set them apart from the bolder lithographs of many other publishers.
How to recognize a Detroit Publishing card
- The publisher's name on the back, often with the word Phostint.
- A catalog number on the front or back.
- Soft, realistic color with fine detail.
- Many cards with undivided backs from the early years, and divided backs from 1907.
The end of the company
The company's business declined after World War I, as competitors with cheaper methods took over the market, and it ceased operating in the 1920s. Its collection of negatives and prints survived, and much of it is now held by the Library of Congress, which has made many images available to the public.
Which Detroit cards are collected
- Early cards, including undivided backs.
- Scarce subjects: smaller towns, industrial scenes, railroads, ships and unusual views.
- Fine Phostint examples with rich, clear color.
- Complete series and runs of catalog numbers.
- Condition: clean, bright cards are preferred.
Common views of famous cities and landmarks were printed in large numbers and are modest in value individually.
Detroit cards in a collection
Detroit Publishing cards appear often in albums from the golden age, especially travel albums. I count them along with the rest and look closely at scarce subjects and early cards.
The number on the card
Detroit cards usually carry a catalog number, which collectors use to organize and identify them. Numbered lists compiled by collectors help match a card to its series and approximate date. If you have many Detroit cards, a note of the range of numbers you see can be useful when describing the collection, though it is not necessary for a quote.
Detroit cards versus other early publishers
Compared with the bold, saturated color of many German-printed lithographs, Detroit's Phostints look quieter and more photographic. Compared with later American cards, their detail and tonal range are finer. That distinctive look is the easiest way to spot them across a room.
Questions people ask
What is a Phostint postcard?
The Detroit Publishing Company's trade name for its color postcards made with a photographic color process.
Are Detroit Publishing Company postcards valuable?
Most are common, but early cards, scarce subjects and fine examples are collected.
Who was William Henry Jackson?
A celebrated photographer of the American West who became a partner in the Detroit company.
Where is the Detroit Publishing Company collection?
Much of it is held by the Library of Congress.
Do you buy Detroit Publishing postcards?
Yes, as part of a complete collection.
Photochrom prints
Before and alongside postcards, the company sold large Photochrom prints for framing, showing American and European scenes in soft color. These prints are collected in their own right and sometimes turn up with postcard collections. If your collection includes framed or unframed color prints with a Detroit Photographic or Photochrom imprint, mention them.
Railroads and the West
The Detroit company's catalog was strong in railroad scenes, western landscapes, Great Lakes shipping and city views, reflecting both Jackson's background and the travel interests of the time. Railroad and Great Lakes collectors in particular seek Detroit cards of trains, depots, steamers and harbors.
Photographing Detroit cards for a quote
Photograph a few fronts and a back showing the publisher's name and catalog number, along with the rest of the collection.
Why the color looks different
The Photochrom process built up an image from many separate printings, each adding a layer of tone, so the color appears soft and blended rather than bold and flat. Look closely at a Phostint card and you will see subtle gradations in skies, water and stone that most other printed postcards of the time could not match. That quality is why some collectors focus on Detroit cards specifically, and why fine, bright examples are preferred over faded ones.
Detroit cards and American history
Because the company photographed so widely, its images document American cities, landscapes, industry and transportation at the turn of the twentieth century. The Library of Congress collection is used by historians, and the postcards that survive in private hands are part of that same visual record.
Are undivided-back Detroit cards worth more? Early cards from before 1907 are generally scarcer and of more interest, though subject and condition still matter most.
Did Detroit Publishing make holiday cards? The company is best known for views; its strength was landscapes, cities, ships and railroads.
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