Company History

Finkenrath & Grasnick, chromolitho printers was set up by Paul Finkenrath and Paul Grasnick on July 1, 1897. P. Finkenrath had been sales manager of August Finkenrath Soehne (est. 1875) from Barmen before, probably one of the sons. Aug. Finkenrath had a branch at Berlin since the mid 1890’s. Paul Grasnick had been the head lithographer of well known J. Miesler company.

The business was found at Alte Jacobstr. 66, 2nd rear house, 3rd floor. The partnership lasted only about a year. P. Grasnick left and worked as lithographer, then own studio for lithography, opened a printing business at Thaerstr. 47, before moving to Blumenstr. 37, Berlin O27. His (contract) chromolitho printing business was prospering, and very likely he worked also for former partner Finkenrath from time to time.

Paul Finkenrath moved his business to Berlin SO, Schlesische Str. 31 by 1900. Added an own dept. for deLuxe paper production. By mid or late 1901 the business was converted into a limited company. Business partners / managing directors were a Robert Schimpf and Mr. Oettinger. All three were also travelling salesmen. The PFB “Bird” logo (see above) is the earliest logo used. Probably already in 1901 but the earliest p/u card known yet dates from mid 1902. The more popular PFB inside two dividers logo was registered in (mid/late?) 1905.

PFB  (8 litho presses, 40 other machines, 180 workers in 1907) made good profits but when the exports faded, inland market cram full with overproduction cards, the company was wound up by late 1910. Final liquidation dates from March 31, 1911. Paul Finkenrath had left earlier to take over a laundry engineering works.

PFB postcard production

Finkenrath & Grasnick as well as  follow-up company Paul Finkenrath Kunstanstalt concentrated on picture postcards (topo). The limited company however, specialised in all types of quality subject / greeting cards for all occasions, mainly for export. Usually each design was available in 2 or 3 different qualities. Embossed, embossed with special brilliant gold or silver inlay, with heavy glossy finish and additional gold/silver inlay on top. Relatively few cards are “plain”.

An experienced PFB card collector from the US estimated in the late 1990’s that Finkenrath had published and printed at least some 5,300 diff. designs during their 10 years of existence. As said above, many designs were available in diff. qualities and of course with imprints in many languages. The imprint was free of charge with a minimum order of 1,200 cards.

The highest series number I have seen so far is in the 11,000 range (p/u in 1910). However, I am not sure if the numbering was consecutively over the years. PFB collectors are invited to help to solve this matter. Another puzzle are the 100% PFB made cards which show no logo nor series number at all.

PFB cards are usually said to had been of outstanding design and quality for the time. Well, there are also quite common cards with flowers, landscape views, art reproductions around. Then again also mechanicals and other “novelties”. Although you find PFB cards with various language imprints, the mass of cards was produced for the US market / customer taste there. Some cards show an additional imprint: “Reg. U.S.A. Pat. Off” in order to protect designs of copying which was quite common there. The mention of “Woolworth” to had been a major customer of PFB puzzles me a little as I understand Woolworth to had been selling low price cards in quantity(?)

A longer article on the PFB company history was published in TPA issue 25.

‘Lifeboat’ - Finkenrath & Grasnick card no. 657, artist signature illegible. P/U 1899. With later added imprint of Hamburg based printer, publisher, wholesaler “M. Glueckstadt & Muenden”.

Gruss aus Berlin - card no. 477. Imprint reads: ‘Kunstanstalt Paul Finkenrath, Berlin’. No Grasnick mention. This card was p/u in mid. 1898.

PFB card no. 9505. New Year greetings, caption in German, not p/u with message in Hungarian. This card is the glossy gelatine finish and additional golden inlay version. Identical card no. 9504 has gelatine finish only.

PFB card no. 5118, signed ‘Jotter’. A British artist I believe. The same card with extra gold overprint was no. 5119. P/u 1907 in Germany.

From the collection of Eltina Dijkstra comes this interesting PFB pair. Card no. 3954 with brilliant gold inlay, same card number but one with old PFB logo, the other with the new, more popular version. However, it this not the identical design, but from the same (romance) series.

Please

notice!

I do receive inquiries quite regularly by collectors believing that the illustrated trademark PFB inside rhombus, some say diamond, was also used by Paul Finkenrath company. This is not the case, however. This logo belongs to the publisher / real photo card printer Paul Fink, Berlin. Thank you.