The Albertype Co.

Originally known as the Wittemann Brothers in 1887, the Albertype Company was founded by brothers Adolph and Herman L. Wittemann in 1890 in Brooklyn, New York, and used albertype, also known as collotype, to reproduce images for postcards, pioneer cards, and viewbooks. The company produced over 25,000 collotypes before it closed in 1952 when they were purchased by Art Vue Post Card Company.

Since 1867, the Wittemann brothers had worked as publishers and printers. According to MetroPostcard.com, “Herman ran the firm while Adolph acted as an agent, both finding customers for their services and taking photographs to be made into cards. Eventually, they printed images by many photographers both in house and out.”

Their name appeared within the stamp box on their early cards. When they started printing divided back postcards the company created a line down the back of their cards with the words “Post Cards of Quality” and later with “The Finest American Made View Post Cards.”

Gay Street Methodist Episcopal Church, Mount Vernon, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard depicting the Gay Street Methodist Episcopal Church in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Alumni Gateway and Soldiers’ Monument, Ohio University Campus, Athens, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage hand-colored postcard depicting the Alumni Gateway and Soldiers’ Monument on the Ohio University Campus at the corner of Court and Union streets in Athens, Ohio.

Source: Metro Postcard