A London publishing house
Raphael Tuck began a business in London in the 1860s selling pictures and frames, and with his sons built it into a major publisher of greeting cards, prints and later postcards. The firm held a royal warrant and described itself as art publishers to the royal family. When postcards became popular around 1900, Tuck published them on a vast scale: views, greetings, art cards, comic cards, novelty cards and topical series, sold across the British Empire, Europe and the United States.
Printed in Germany
Like many publishers of the time, Tuck had many of its finest cards printed in Germany, especially in Saxony and Bavaria, where printers excelled at color lithography and embossing. The backs of many Tuck cards say so. See German-printed postcards.
Oilettes
Tuck's Oilette cards, introduced in the early 1900s, were printed to resemble small oil paintings, with a textured surface and painterly color. Oilettes covered landscapes, cities, ships, railways, animals, military subjects and more, often in numbered series with titles. They are a popular collecting field in their own right.
Tuck in America
Tuck had an American presence and published series for the American market, including views of American cities and landmarks, holiday greetings, and designs for American holidays such as Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. Those cards are common in American family albums from the golden age.
Which Tuck cards collectors want
- Holiday cards, especially Halloween, and fine embossed Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving designs. See vintage Halloween postcards.
- Artist-signed cards by illustrators such as Frances Brundage and Louis Wain. See artist-signed postcards.
- Novelty cards: hold-to-lights, mechanical and other special constructions.
- Scarce Oilette series and topical series, such as railways, ships and military subjects.
- Condition: bright, clean cards with sharp embossing.
Common Tuck views of famous places are modest in value individually.
How to recognize a Tuck card
Tuck cards usually carry the company's name and its trademark, an easel and palette design, on the back, along with the series name and number, and often the words Oilette or Art Publishers. The quality of printing is generally high.
The lost archive
Tuck's London headquarters, Raphael House, was destroyed in a bombing raid during the Blitz at the end of 1940, and with it much of the company's archive of designs and records. As a result, collectors and researchers have reconstructed the firm's series from surviving cards, and some series remain incompletely documented.
Tuck cards in a collection
Tuck cards are very common in American collections from the golden age. I count them along with the rest and look closely at holiday, artist-signed and novelty cards.
Tuck novelty and specialty cards
Tuck produced a wide range of special cards: hold-to-lights, cards with real silk or glitter, embossed and gilded designs, shaped die-cuts, and series designed for children. Some were sold in sets and packets. These novelty and specialty cards were made in smaller numbers than standard views, and they are among the more desirable Tuck items.
Collecting Tuck by series
Many Tuck collectors organize by series name and number, aiming to complete a run of Oilettes or a holiday set. Because so much of the archive was lost, discovering an unrecorded series or design still happens, which keeps the field lively.
Questions people ask
Are Raphael Tuck postcards valuable?
Many are modest in value, but Tuck holiday cards, artist-signed designs, novelties and scarce series can be worth considerably more.
What is a Tuck Oilette?
A Tuck postcard printed to resemble a small oil painting, usually in a titled, numbered series.
Where were Tuck postcards printed?
Many were printed in Germany, though designed and published by the London firm.
Why is the Tuck archive incomplete?
The firm's London headquarters and much of its archive were destroyed in the Blitz in 1940.
Do you buy Raphael Tuck postcards?
Yes, as part of a complete collection.
Tuck holiday series
Tuck's holiday cards were among the finest of the golden age, with layered embossing, gilding and careful design. Its American holiday series covered Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine's Day, Easter, Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays and the Fourth of July as well as Christmas and New Year. Many carry a series number on the back, and collectors try to complete series. Halloween series in particular are sought after, and clean, bright examples of any Tuck holiday series stand out.
Photographing Tuck cards for a quote
Photograph a few fronts and a back showing the Tuck trademark and series number, along with the rest of the collection. Holiday and novelty Tuck cards are worth close-ups.
Tuck's place in postcard history
Few publishers shaped the look of the early postcard as much as Tuck. Its emphasis on quality printing, artistic design and themed series helped turn postcards from simple messages into objects people wanted to collect, and the company actively encouraged collecting with competitions and albums. In that sense, many of the albums that survive in attics today owe something to the enthusiasm Tuck helped create.
Are Tuck Oilettes valuable? Most common Oilette views are modest; scarce series, topical subjects and fine condition bring more.
What does the easel and palette mark mean? It is the Tuck trademark, printed on the back of most of the firm's cards.
Are Tuck Thanksgiving and Fourth of July cards collectible? Yes, especially fine embossed designs in good condition.
Did Tuck print real photo postcards? Tuck is known mainly for printed cards; real photo postcards in American collections usually came from local photographers.
Sources and further reading
Ready to sell? Compare where to sell old postcards, or see how to sell old postcards step by step.