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Who Printed Up All Those
Red Rose Tea Cards?


I'm sure you don't think much about who prints these tea cards. Except to talk about those printer errors on the error page. Well, let's try and figure this out. We know that Red Rose didn't print tea cards. They had some help with that. Who stepped up to make it happen?


Well if you read the back of an album, you will know it's a print shop located in Paris and Toronto.  That's Canada, right?

Back of Series 1 Album

Back of Series 1 Album



We know the printer was the well known Walker Press. They printed cards and albums and related paper for over fifteen years.  I can't confirm it, but I suspect the order forms and Brooke Bond Naturalist Club Certificates as well as promotional posters were also printed by Walker.


In general, Walker does not show up too often in publications. Here's their tag line in a 1962 Colour Brochure for Shepherd Boats

1962 Colour Brochure for Shepherd Boats

Colour Boat Brochure



OK, we have an understanding that Walker Press printed the cards and albums and whatever. So what?

Well I have a friend named Marcel. Many years ago he used to work for Walker Press. He has a few stories that might interest Red Rose Tea Card collectors... What do you think?

I thought so...

Marcel says "The Walker Press printed all of those Canadian Cards. US as well I think..."

In addition he says... "In fact when Red Rose reissued in 90-91, my company did the packaging of the two issues. It was printed and packaging started at Fairfax Packaging... Another and I designed a machine to gently push the cards which had been printed and then the sheets were run through a Rotary Die Press and cut except for 4 tiny bits. The sheets were then run through our contraption and gathered in groups of 48 cards (1 set) and then 10 sets were put into white card stock sleeve. (think of a magazine for a rifle) which went out to the factory and were fired into the tea boxes."

"...earlier sleeves were more rigid and they had plugs on the ends. I imagine I may have physically touched each in some manner from receiving, loading, processing or shipping."

"Let's get some new light on Tea Cards, realities and myths out to your followers."


Hey Marcel, I'm with you! Let's explore the print process and how these beautiful little cards got to Red Rose.


 Last modified: September 22, 2020

 

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