Curt Otto Teich (1877–1974) was an American publisher of German descent who produced popular colour postcards, primarily of scenes from American life. He was a pioneer of the offset printing process. Under his management, the Curt Teich & Company became the world’s largest printer of view and advertising postcards.
The Curt Teich Company was founded in 1898, printing newspapers and magazines, and became an early publisher of postcards but did not begin printing them in number until 1908. Most of the company’s postcards had white borders. The company employed offset printing beginning in 1907.
Postcards produced between 1908 and 1928, are usually prefixed A or R and numbered 1 to 124180. These are tinted halftone cards and were issued either under the C. T. Photochrome, C. T. Art-Colortone, or C. T. American Art trade names.
In the early 1930’s, they began producing linen postcards. The Curt Teich Company employed various credit lines, including Curteich-Chicago, C. T. American Art, and C. T. Photochrome.
After Curt Teich’s death in 1974, the business was sold to Regensteiner Publishers who continued to print cards at the Chicago plant until 1978, when the rights to the company name and processes were sold to the Irish firm John Hinde Ltd. Their California subsidiary prints cards under the name John Hinde Curteich, Inc.
Series
1956
- 6C-H Series – C.T. Art-Colortone
1965
- 5DK Series – Curt Teich
1968
- 8DK Series – Curt Teich
1973
1974
- 4ED Series – Regensteiner Publishing Enterprises (Type A)
- 4ED Series – Regensteiner Publishing Enterprises (Type B)
- 4EK Series – Art Investors Co.
- SD2 Series – Regensteiner Publishing Enterprises (Type A)
1976
1978
- 4ED Series – John Hinde Ltd
- SD2 Series – John Hinde Ltd
References
- Curt Teich Co. / Curteich-Chicago / C. T. American Art / C. T. Art-Colortone
- Guide to Dating Curt Teich Postcards (2016) – (PDF)
