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:
- P. O. Box 5668, Nassau (1966-1973)
- P. O. Box 6220, Nassau (1974-1979)
- P. O Box 304 Calypso Distributors Ltd (Freeport).
- P. O Box F2434 Calypso Distributors Ltd (Freeport).
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
- P17300 Series
- P20500 Series
- P29200 Series
- P30400 Series
- P31300 Series
- P33900 Series
- P38900 Series
- P44400 Series
Type AA
- P18700 Series
- P24700 Series
- P44400 Series
- P52200 Series
- P52300 Series
- P54600 Series
- P64400 Series
- P64900 Series
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
- P67200 Series (Type BC1)
- P67300 Series (Type BC1)
- P67300 Series (Type BC1 – V1A)
- P70600 Series (Type BC1)
- P72700 Series (Type BC2)
- P72800 Series (Type BC2)
Type C
- P91039 (Type C) – This is Nassau
Type CA
- P17300 Series (Type CA1)
- P31300 Series (Type CA1)
- P67200 Series (Type CA1 – V1)
- P72800 Series (Type CA1 – V1)
- P72800 Series (Type CA1 – V2)
- P301600 Series (Type CA1)
Type CB
Type CC
- P67300 Series (Type CC1 – V3)
- P69800 Series (Type CC2 – V2)
- P69800 Series (Type CC2 – V3)
- P70600 Series (Type CC1)
- P71900 Series (Type CC1)
- P72700 Series (Type CC2 – V2)
- P72700 Series (Type CC2 – V2)
- P72800 Series (Type CC2 – V2)
- P72800 Series (Type CC2 – V3)
- P77600 Series (Type CC2)
X Series
- x110800 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- x111500 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- x112300 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- x113500 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- x113600 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
10x Series
- 10×110800 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- 10×110900 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- 10×111300 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- 10×111500 – Calypso Distributors Ltd (Type A)
- 10×111500 – Calypso Distributors Ltd (Type C)
- 10×111700 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- 10×111800 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- 10×112000 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
- 10×112300 – Calypso Distributors Ltd
References
- Old Times, January (1965)
- Old Times, October (1965)