Postcards Printed By The Sturgis Lithograph Company Of Sturgis, Michigan, C1933-34

Wanted to trade/share information on picture postcards printed by the Sturgis Lithograph Company of Sturgis, Michigan.

A goal would be to generate a list by serial number of all of the Sturgis Litho views - and some basic history on the company. Has anyone already made significant progress of this topic? I know of about 75 Indiana views, which is my main study area for these.

From what I know/surmise based on the serial numbers on the cards and use dates, they printed about 1600 view cards in the 1933-1934 time span, mostly of Michigan and nearby portions of adjoining states. Here are samples showing front and back, with two different publisher inscriptions:






Note the white border and centered title on the view side, and "Photo Tone" on the reverse.

From the chronology, close geography, layout style, etc., it appears Sturgis Litho sold out to the Wayne Paper Box & Printing Company of Fort Wayne, IN sometime in 1934, a company known for about 10,000 different gray/silver/white border cards published from 1934 to the early 1950s, but that is a different research and cataloging project.

Interesting project - my mother is from Sturgis area & still have family there. I have about 80 of the Wayne Co. postcards from Northern Indiana - which indeed look very similar - but none from the Sturgis company, sorry.

Some months ago I was in contact with the historical society in Warsaw, IN re returning some WWI postcards that had local significance to them, can provide their contact info if interested.

~Greg

Hi John

I am interested in the Sturgis Lithographic Company's 1933-34 Century of Progress postcards. So far, I have identified the following by ID number.

1199 Carillon Tower
1204 Third Fort Dearborn
1205 Electrical Building
1207 Hall of Science
1208 Hall of Science
1209 Travel and Transport Building and Dome
1210 Hall of Science
1211 Hall of Science at Night

If you know of any other cards they produced of the fair, I'd like to add them to my list. Also, if you know any additional "biographical" info about the company, I would appreciate knowing that also.
Thanks, John

#1203, Stairway to Electrical Building, is here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3644981398...9SR87im4fSYw

Your range spans 13 numbers, so no doubt there are a few more before or after the range you have ID'd to make a logical number for a press sheet.

Thanks much, John
Do you know any more about Sturgis Lithographic beyond what was in your original post?

I have no additional background info on Sturgis Litho.
It would be interesting to see the Sturgis city directory listings which should list the officers, and the Sturgis or Ft Wayne newspapers which might list the sale/transfer of the postcard business.