Postcard copyright issues

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fissatt
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:44 pm

Postcard copyright issues

Post by fissatt »

Hi,

I posted a topic about a month ago about wanting help with my uni project in which Im using postcards to create an archive. Well I have moved on further with this work and have been buying cards from ebay, about 60 in total. As well as displaying them at my end of year gallery show I want to create a website with further information about the items and the project as a whole, this would also tie in the idea of the transition between physical archives and digital archives that are more widely accesible. I understand that some more recent postcards from the 1950s onwards might still be copyrighted. So I was wondering if anyone has had experience making a website of their collection and could advise me on how to go about this issue. I have tried researching the company names of the more recent cards but as far as I can see only one is still active - John Hinde Ltd. Could anyone tell me what happened to these other companies (below) and if they are still active/contactable. It seems like alot of hassle to find out about the copyright of all these postcards but it is something I legally need to do to cover myself on the off chance that it is questioned.

Colourmaster International
J.Arthur Dixon
Salmon Cameracolour
Harvey Barton

Thanks again for your help

vectis101
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 6:50 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by vectis101 »

Colourmaster International - Photo Precision of St Ives, Huntingdon, Cambs now appears to have gone out of business.
J Arthur Dixon, all production and copyright reproductions ceased March 2012 - John Hinde (Cornwall) Ltd.
J Salmon Ltd Sevenoaks Kent contact 01732 452381 or enquiries@jsalmon.co.uk there is also a Salmon Collectors Club.
Harvey Barton cards ceased about 1970;s no further information.

I am currently converting my spreadsheet of J Arthur Dixon cards to database with view at some stage to make into a website, this will also include a full copy of cards.
Roy Richardson / J Arthur Dixon Historian

nickbits
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:09 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by nickbits »

Dear Roy,

I ahve a couple of J Arthur Dixon Postcards I would like to reproduce, all from the 80's I think. I was interested to read your reply:
vectis101 wrote: J Arthur Dixon, all production and copyright reproductions ceased March 2012 - John Hinde (Cornwall) Ltd.
Can you tell me where you got this from? I have been attempting to contact the John Hinde group without success for a while. No reply to email or letters, or phone.

Regards,
Nick

vectis101
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 6:50 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by vectis101 »

Hi Nick,
Re John Hinde (UK) Ltd
Their address I have is: Hinde House. 12 B.C.D.Cardrew Industrial Estate. Redruth. Cornwall. TR15 1SS
Tel: 01209 211111
Email: info@johnhinde.co.uk
Web: http://www.johnhinde.com
The information was from a phone call following a letter sent to the company in April this year. They do not hold records of past reproductions. I am still trying to trace copyright holder/s of original J Arthur Dixon postcards.
Roy Richardson
J Arthur Dixon Historian
solentcollect@gmail.com

nickbits
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:09 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by nickbits »

Dear Roy,

Thank you for the information. The contact details are the same as I have so not sure why they have not bothered to reply to me. Anyway, I have not yet looked at finding the original photographers, I don't see that as being easy at all and wish you all the best of luck with it. Should I find anything out I will send it your way.

Thanks for the help,
Nick

Michael Crofts
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 4:41 pm

Postcard copyright - John Hynde; Colourmaster

Post by Michael Crofts »

I got a very quick response from info@johnhindecollection.com, the holders of the John Hinde archive copyright.

Does anyone know who owns the copyright of the Colourmaster archive? I am a bit confused by the reference to Colourmaster above.

vectis101
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 6:50 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by vectis101 »

Ref. Colourmaster Ltd. The original company was Photo Precision Ltd established by 2 RAF photo reconnaissance officers started production early 1960's, the firm was taken over and rebranded Colourmater Ltd in 1969. This company has since ceased business. As to tracing photographers like JAD one is best just to quote their names to cover any copyright. Good luck.

Michael Crofts
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 4:41 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by Michael Crofts »

Thanks for the information.

There is a need for a simple record of postcard publishers showing date of commencement, date of ceasing new publications (if applicable), name and contact details of firm or current copyright holder, and comments. Does this exist or do I need to start it?

Is there a book about the history of postcard publishing?

My ignorance comes from the fact that I am not a postcard collector. I use postcards to illustrate books and articles but I am not an enthusiast of the postcards themselves, hence not very knowledgeable and need easy access to the copyright information.

MichaelDay
Site Admin
Posts: 179
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2005 11:31 pm
Contact:

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by MichaelDay »

Michael Crofts wrote:Thanks for the information.

There is a need for a simple record of postcard publishers showing date of commencement, date of ceasing new publications (if applicable), name and contact details of firm or current copyright holder, and comments. Does this exist or do I need to start it?

Is there a book about the history of postcard publishing?

My ignorance comes from the fact that I am not a postcard collector. I use postcards to illustrate books and articles but I am not an enthusiast of the postcards themselves, hence not very knowledgeable and need easy access to the copyright information.
That would be nice, howeverI doubt the information you suggest is available for anything but a handful of firms. Very few companies produced reliable lists of their output, many had obscure numbering systems and where records did exist few have survived, probably as the company information simply wasn't considered important.

Many collectors would agree that this is one of the reasons the postcard collecting hobby is so appealing, as it's usually not possible to collect to a list or catalogue as you may do with stamps for example and you simply don't know what cards are out there.

Anthony Byatt produced a book 'Picture Postcards and their Publishers' in the 1980's. This is a useful reference - now out of print, but secondhand copies occasionally appear on ebay.

Dave43
Posts: 66
Joined: Fri May 08, 2009 7:26 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by Dave43 »

On a general note, am I being too simplistic in thinking the copyright of "Golden Age" cards has long expired? Anyway the images on cards were meant to be seen. Did those photographers a 100 years ago ask permission to take the pics? Incidentally I was stopped from photographing a/ the funny relief brickwork clock outside the new stock exchange Paternoster Square (I got round that by coming back on the Sunday when security were'nt around!) b/ beside All Hallows Church by the Tower of London, I was trying to get a reflection of the church in the glass of that big office building beside it, again stopped by security.
I queried this with Ken Livingstone's office (he was mayor then) apparently these place are "private" and they can ban photography

coastal
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri May 24, 2013 9:24 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by coastal »

J. Arthur Dixon greetings cards

I found this site by accident, and wonber if there is anyone who has information on the whereabouts of copyright holders (if copyright is still a factor) or - better still - even an archive of cards showing floral displays that were used in J. Arthur Dixon greetings cards. They were very popular in the 50s, and showed some very interesting camera work. I am interested in obtaining some cards in order to explore the possibility of converting them, if possible, to giclee prints. I have tried Hinde without success, but maybe I could try again. Someone must know where this archive went to when the Newport offices closed down. Alternatively,perhaps members of this forum can put me in touch with others who may point me in the right direction. Thanks for any help you can provide

jotace
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:28 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by jotace »

Hello!
I am a Spanish collector of postcards about my village, Castro Urdiales. I have in my collection an Arthur Dixon postcard. On the back of the postcard sets:
The Harbour Castro Urdiales near Bilbao-Spain
Photography by John Pallent/Andrew Hammond
L7/SP.11402
It is dated in 1996 and so it is written in the postcard, it was send to Calne from one cruise ship (probably Bilbao-Portsmouth or Bilbao-Plymouth). Does anybody have infromation about this postcard serie?
I would like to find information about if there are more postcards of Castro Urdiales edited by Arthur J. Dixon
Thank you.

davidnugget
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:05 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by davidnugget »

With regard to public buildings and to older (out of copyright) cards you may find the following interesting:

Copyright Notice digital images, photographs and the internet - Gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 201401.pdf
Are digitised copies of older images protected by copyright? ... I want to take photos of sculptures and buildings located in public spaces.

Note that in EU law (which currently applies here!), and now apparently in US law, the mere act of scanning a card doesn't give you any copyright on the scan.
I suspect adding your own logo to the scan wouldn't either, particularly if the copier removed it, but read the article.

davidnugget
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:05 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by davidnugget »

Sorry about the link above not working, blame google or my browser for the dots.

The article you want to search for is:

Copyright Notice: digital images,
photographs and the internet
Copyright Notice Number: 1/2014
Updated: November 2015

published by the (UK) Intellectual Property Office

davidnugget
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:05 pm

Re: Postcard copyright issues

Post by davidnugget »

I have just realised that my posts are not actually relevant to the recent question, which was about Arthur J Dixon cards. Here are a couple of refs to that firm which might be helpful:

http://dixoncards.tripod.com/

http://www.raywoodmore.com/

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