Company name: Regel & Krug
Address: Leipzig, Kohlgartenstr. 57 (1895, 1898), then moved to Leipzig-Reudnitz, Comeniusstr. 13-15 (1907)
In business from: Sept. 1, 1894 until 1931 / 1933
Printer: yes Publisher: yes
Means of production / workforce:
2 letterpress, 8 lithographic presses, photographic printing by the mile (1907), collotype printing at the turn of the century. 260 workers (1913) – workforce dropped down to 90 people by the mid 1920’s
Trademark(s): illustrations show the two R&K logos mostly found on cards.
”ERKAL” means “R” pronounced “ER”, “K” pronounced “KA” and the “L” stood for “Leipzig”. Occasionally found interpretation of company initials.
Specialised in: “postcards with views” (description from 1895-1898 times, meant are typical chromolitho ‘Greetings from’ type cards, not illustrated here); real photo cards, colouring and gelatine finishing works
Notes: Big ppc manufacturer (topo as well as subject cards), establ. by Friedrich Louis Georg Regel and Sylvester Richard Krug. By 1907 R&K had moved into own 4-story building at Comeniustr. From c. 1921 run by Syl. Rich. Krug alone. Started off as typical chromolitho printers, used collotype process for some time, then concentrated on “Autochrom” process (own process “Heliochrome”) and added photographic printing. Many real photo series and as research has proved now, there were not only plenty of common but also a number of better / interesting designs published (see below). The earlier topo card output was more and more replaced by greeting/subject cards. The company was temporary closed in Oct. 1931. Klimsch 1933 directory lists R&K again. Owners: Mrs. Lissi Krug and Mrs. Johanna Bruder together with 4 partners.
Illustrations (from top):
R.K.L. card no. 5425, chromolitho, embossed, sample “Passepartout” ppc (8 diff. designs)
R.K.L. card from city of Bruenn (no. 35), “Heliochrom” process, of pre-1905 origin
R.K.L. photo card no. 5, ser. 4383, p/u 1913
R.K.L. “ERKAL” series 325, card no. 6. Signed “Usabal”. P/u in Belgium in Dec. 1917.
R.K.L. series 1055. Coloured halftone, heavy glossy gelatine finish, embossed with additional gold overprint. Caption ‘Christosainviat’ (Easter?). Mailed from Austria to Romania in 1912.
R.K.L. series 2587, card no. 5. Coloured halftone (‘Autochrom’). Early WW1 patriotic series, the last words of a deadly wounded soldier. Fieldpost, p/u April 1915.
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