Curt Teich Co.

C.T. Chicago logo

Established in 1898, the Curt Teich Co. was best known for its wide range of advertising and postcards of North America. By the 1920s, it was producing so many postcards with borders that they became recognized as a type dubbed “White Border Cards,” creating an “era.” Later, Curt Teich’s innovations in this printing technique directly led to the production of what we now call “linens” by the early 1930s.

History

Curt Teich emigrated to Chicago in 1895. He had worked as a lithographer in Lobenstein, Germany. In 1898, he founded the Curt Teich Company, concentrating on newspaper and magazine printing. He was an early publisher of postcards, but he didn’t begin printing them himself until 1908.

The company, which operated until 1978, was renowned for its production of postcards featuring various subjects, including North American scenic views, landmarks, events, and advertising. By the 1920s, it was producing so many postcards with borders that they became recognized as a type dubbed “White Border Cards,” creating an “era.”

Their U.S. factories produced a vast quantity of cards, making them the leading printer in the industry. Curt Teich Company pioneered the use of offset lithography, leading to the development of the popular linen-type postcard. The company aided the war effort during World War II by printing many military maps.

In 1974, the Teich Company was sold to Regensteiner Publishers, but it continued printing Teich postcards until its closure in 1978. Curt Teich’s contributions significantly impacted the postcard industry, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic and historical significance. The Teich Company continued to operate in the same building and continued printing Teich postcards until 1978 when the rights to the company name and processes were sold to the Irish company, John Hinde Ltd. Their California subsidiary now prints postcards under the name John Hinde Curteich, Inc.


C.T. Photochrom


Dueber-Hampden Watch Works, Canton, Ohio. (1915) | Curt Teich
Postcard from 1915 showing the Dueber-Hampden Watch Works factory and grounds in Canton, Ohio.

Stone Bridge in West Lawn Cemetery, Canton, Ohio (1916) | Curt Teich
1916 postcard showing the Stone Bridge in West Lawn Cemetery in Canton, Ohio.

Memorial Hall, Columbus, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard showing the Franklin County Memorial Hall in Columbus, Ohio. Between 1964 and 1999, it housed the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) science museum.

C.T. American Art Colored postcards


Holy Trinity Church, Middletown, Connecticut (1920) | Curt Teich
White border postcard from 1920 shows the Holy Trinity Church covered in moss in Middletown, Connecticut.

P.A. Myers Residence, Ashland, Ohio (1926)
1926 white border postcard showing the P.A. Myers Residence in Ashland, Ohio.

Boat Racing, Rocky River, Lakewood, Cleveland’s Fashionable Suburb, Cleveland (Date Unknown)
White border postcard showing sailboats racing on the Rocky River in Lakewood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

New Viaduct, Ashtabula, Ohio (1947)
Postcard from 1947 showing the US-20 (Prospect Road) viaduct over the Ashtabula River in Ashtabula, Ohio.

McKinley Memorial, Showing Lagoon, Canton, Ohio (1923)
1923 postcard showing the McKinley Memorial, showing the lagoon, in Canton, Ohio.

Water Works Park, Canton, Ohio (1918)
White border postcard from 1918 showing children at the Water Works Park in Canton, Ohio. The pumping station in the background was torn down in 1938.

High Level Bridge at Night, Cleveland, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage white border postcard showing the High Level Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio, at night.

Public Square Looking North, Cleveland, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage white border postcard showing Cleveland, Ohio’s public square looking north.

Hanna Building and Hanna Annex, Cleveland, Ohio (1921)
White border postcard from 1921 showing the Hanna Building and Hanna Annex in Cleveland, Ohio. It has the Cleveland Fifth City series logo and yellow streetcars.

Post Office, Columbus, Ohio (1932)
White border postcard from 1932 showing the old Post Office in Columbus, Ohio.

New Conneaut Viaduct, Conneaut, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage white border postcard showing the US-20 Conneaut Creek Bridge in Conneaut, Ohio.

Main Street, North from Third, Showing Old and New Court Houses, Dayton, Ohio (1922)
1922 white border postcard showing Main Street, looking north from Third Street in Dayton, Ohio. It shows the old and new courthouses.

The Rike-Kumler Co., Dayton, Ohio (1925)
1925 white border postcard showing the Rike-Kumler Company building in Dayton, Ohio.

Broadway, Lorain, Ohio (1917)
1917 white border postcard showing the main street, or “Broadway,” through Lorain, Ohio.

Post Office, Mansfield, Ohio (Date Unknown)
White border postcard showing the traffic outside the post office in Mansfield, Ohio.

Monument Park, Painesville, Ohio (1949)
Linen postcard from 1949 showing Monument Park in Painesville, Ohio.

View of Southwest Cove and Dept. of Conservation Pier, Put-In-Bay, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard showing the Southwest Cove and Department of Conservation Pier in Put-In-Bay, Ohio.

Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art-Colortone” postcards


Ohio State Capitol and McKinley Memorial and Emblems of the State (1950)
Linen postcard from 1950 showing Ohio symbols and a scene of the Ohio Statehouse.

Public Square Showing Court House, Canton, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the Canton public square featuring the Court House in Canton, Ohio.

Canton Memorial Auditorium, Canton, Ohio (1957)
Postcard from 1957 showing the Canton Memorial Auditorium in Canton, Ohio.

Watching the Fish in the Trout Stream at the Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (1927)
Vintage linen postcard showing visitors watching fish in the trout stream at the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

Trout Hatchery and Water Wheel at the Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
1930s linen postcard showing the Trout Hatchery and Water Wheel at the Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio.

Blue Hole Entrance, Castalia, Ohio (1940)
Linen postcard from 1940 showing the entrance to the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

Night View of the Famous Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing a night scene at the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

Walk Along Trout Stream at Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the walkway along the trout stream at the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

Mill Pond and Fish Hatchery, Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the Mill Pond and Fish Hatchery at the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

The Famous Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing visitors at the famous Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

Entrance to Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the entrance to Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

One of the Many Beauty Spots at the Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing a beautiful spot at the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

The Aerating Water Wheel at the Blue Hole, Castalia, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the aerating water wheel at the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio.

Looking West on Broad Street from Memorial Hall, Columbus, Ohio (1933)
Linen postcard from 1933 showing downtown Columbus, Ohio, looking west on Broad Street from the Franklin County Memorial Hall.

Looking West on Broad Street from Memorial Hall, Columbus, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing downtown Columbus, Ohio, looking west on Broad Street from Franklin County Memorial Hall.

Capitol Square, in the Heart of Columbus, Ohio (1945)
1930s linen postcard showing the Civic Center Group and the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, from the air.

Columbus, Ohio’s State Capitol from the Air, Columbus, Ohio (1945)
1945 linen postcard showing downtown Columbus, Ohio, from the air. Pictured are Columbus landmarks including the A.I.U. Citadel (now LeVeque Tower), the Scioto Riverfront, and the Ohio State Office Building.

Capitol Square, in the Heart of Columbus, Ohio (1945)
Linen postcard from 1945 showing Capitol Square in the heart of Columbus, Ohio.

Bird’s-Eye View from LeVeque-Lincoln Tower Showing State Capitol, Columbus, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the view from the LeVeque-Lincoln Tower in downtown Columbus, Ohio, showing the Ohio Statehouse.

State Capitol and McKinley Memorial, Columbus, Ohio (1947)
1947 linen postcard showing the Ohio Statehouse and the McKinley Memorial in Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus, Ohio’s State Capitol from the Air (1957)
Linen postcard from 1957 showing downtown Columbus, Ohio, from the air.

Greetings from Lorain, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard wishing the receiver “Greetings from Lorain, Ohio.”

Hotel Manchester, Middletown, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing scenes of the Cocktail Lounge and Coffee Shop of the Hotel Manchester in Middletown, Ohio.

Part of Bathing Beach and Picnic Grounds at the New State Park at East Harbor, Just East of Port Clinton, Ohio (1952)
1952 linen postcard showing a part of the bathing beach and picnic grounds at East Harbor State Park, just east of Port Clinton, Ohio.

Crystal Cave, Put-In-Bay, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing scenes from the Crystal Cave in Put-In-Bay, Ohio.

Youngstown College, Youngstown, Ohio (1952)
Vintage postcard from 1952 showing Youngstown College in Youngstown, Ohio.

Curteichcolor / Curteichcolor 3-D Natural Color Reproduction / “Curteichcolor” reproduction from Kodachrome or Ektachrome original postcards

Court Street at Night, Athens, Ohio (1973)
1973 postcard showing Court Street at night in Athens, Ohio, from the hill behind the armory building. It shows the Athens County Court House, Sammy’s, SOHIO station, Harris Furniture, Sherwin Williams Paints, Ferd Hack Auto Supply, Luckoff’s, and other establishments along the street.

College Green, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio (1973)
1973 postcard showing the College Green at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, from the old Baker Center (Student Union) (now Schoonover Center). It shows the Campus Gateway in the foreground and Cutler Hall in the distance.

Bryan Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio (1973)
Vintage postcard from 1973 showing Bryan Hall (right, on the hill), Tupper Hall (left, on the hill), and Biddle Hall (foreground) at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Lindley Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio (1973)
Vintage postcard from 1973 showing Lindley Hall at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, with cars along Court Street.

Shivley Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio (1973)
Vintage postcard from1973 showing Shivley Hall at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Washington Hall, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio (1970s)
1970s postcard showing Washington Hall at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Civic Center Group, Columbus, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard showing the Civic Center Group along the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio.

Skyline View of Columbus, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard showing an aerial view of Columbus, Ohio, and the Scioto River.

Ohio State Office Building and Le Veque-Lincoln Tower, Columbus, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard showing the Civic Center Group, including the Ohio State Office Building and LeVeque-Lincoln Tower, along the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, at night.

The Three Bridges and Ohio River, Showing Children’s Home, Between East Liverpool and Steubenville, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the three bridges and the Ohio River between East Liverpool and Steubenville, Ohio. The Children’s Home can be seen in the distance.

Sohio Refinery, Lima, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard showing the Sohio Refinery in Lima, Ohio.

Crystal Cave, Put-In-Bay, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage postcard showing the interior of one of the caves at the Crystal Cave in Put-In-Bay, Ohio.

Stambaugh Building and Public Square, Youngstown, Ohio (Date Unknown)
Vintage linen postcard showing the Stambaugh Building and Public Square in Youngstown, Ohio.

Curteich & Co. Inc.


Skyline Showing Cherry Street Bridge, Toledo, Ohio (1936)
1936 linen postcard showing the Cherry Street Bridge and the Toledo, Ohio skyline.

Source: Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City