Bahamas Philately: Calypso Distributors Ltd (Nassau)

Calypso Distributors Ltd, located on Chesapeake Road, Nassau, was started by Sigmund “Buddy” Ambrose Pritchard (1929-2016). The wholesale business distributed souvenirs, records, magazines and newspapers. Pritchard owned eight Penny Farthing stores and Master Technicians Limited (representing R.C.A. Whirlpool and Motorola T.V.).

On 1 January 1965, Pritchard announced that the firm had signed a contract with with Colour Picture Publishers Inc. The first postcards produced had previously been produced by American News Co (which went bankrupt in 1957) and distributed firstly by Lofthouse Ltd and then Lofthouse Agency Ltd.

Postcards/Lettercards/Letter Folders

Calypso Distributors had four different post office boxes:

Type A uses the same backing used for the cards for Lofthouse Agency Ltd. 

  • Type A Colourpicture Publishers Inc, Boston Mass., U.S.A.
  • Type AA Colourpicture Publishers Inc., Boston 30 Mass. U.S.A.
Type A
Type AA

Type B and Type C introduces a new style of backing and removed the Colorpicture central imprint. Two P. O. Box numbers are found with the new backing:

  • Type B – P. O. Box 5668, Nassau
  • Type C – P. O. Box 6220, Nassau

Earlier cards have Pub. by at the start of the Calypso Distributors Ltd imprint (V1). This was later removed, leaving the start of the imprint blank (V2). This was then changed to a series of dots preceeding the imprint and eventually replaced with a small crown (V3).

Within the address area, there are three different versions of the heading:

  • XA – Post Card
  • XB – Address
  • XC – Blank

The stamp box can be found in either a small square (1) or large square (2). It appears the large square was used later. Additionally, some cards have Made in U.S.A. in the stamp box which seem to indicate cards coming from postcard folders.

Type BA
Type BB
Type BC
Type C
Type CA
Type CB
Type CC
X Series
10x Series
References
  • Old Times, January (1965)
  • Old Times, October (1965)