Jack Phillips Postcards

[Nicole Dougherty]

After much help from people on this list I did manage to track down the sole proprietor of the bulk of the postcards. That's the good news. Unfortunately, the policy seems to be that only the buyer can choose to reveal the contents of the cards. So thank you to those of you who have shared your information with me. Cataloging these cards looks like it's going to be an arduous process.

 

[Mandy Le Boutillier]

You have set yourself a mammoth task there, Nicole! Good Luck with it. If you are not actually planning to acquire the cards, you could try looking in sale catalogues when they come up for auction as the Lots are usually pictured. It is also worth checking out Titanic exhibits because collectors often kindly loan their pieces for display. From memory I think one of Jack's two Titanic cards has been on show in the USA.
Reading your earlier posts, I think I may be the 'local' that you were writing to in 1997. For the record, although I know Godalming well (having visited regularly for over 12 years during the course of my JGP research), I'm actually from the Channel Islands. I did see the postcards in their album before they were originally sold. They date between Summer 1906 and 9th April 1912, covering Jack's entire career with Marconi.

 

[Nicole Dougherty]

Mandy,
Thanks so much for all of your information and advice so far. Yes, I have set forth an enormous task for myself, but I believe that it's important for posterity to catalog all historical documents when possible. I am really hoping that people who visit this page will know someone or will be someone with information. I believe that when most Titanic enthusiasts hear about them, they will be willing to assist if they can.

 

[Donald J A Smith]

The card I have is a photograph of Jack Phillips himself posing with wireless equipment and posted 1 pm July 4, 1904 at Woking. Address and message are in his hand. It is addressed: 'Miss Phillips, c/o Mrs Ridgway, 113 Queen St, Newton Abbot. And the message reads: "Hope you will like this one, you must find a special place in your book for it. Kindest regards, 'Reg' "

 

[Donald J A Smith]

Hello Everyone: Here's the photo of Jack at the very beginning of his career. Been an effort to reduce it, and many thanks to Jon Hollis for his help with the original scan. Very best in your researches, one and all. Don

 

[Nadine CHERUBINI]

Thank you Donald for the photo !

There is very little of him.
At the very beginning of his career : when he joined the post office in Godalming in 1902 or when he began to work from 1906 ?
Do you know it ?

 

[Donald J A Smith]

Thanks, Nadine. It's the 1904 photograph I referred to just before I was able to send the small jpeg of it. Don

 

[Allison Lane]

I think I love you. No, seriously.

I was going to ask if there was any chance of you scanning that postcard in--it's lovely.

I would have loved to have seen that postcard collection. Isn't there a book that has pictures of some of them? I seem to recall such a thing but can't remember the book's name.


-Allison L.

 

[Donald J A Smith]

Hi Allison. Yes, Jack continues to cut the romantic figure he did in life. Even his handwriting is 'romantic'!

 

[Nicole Dougherty]

Allison,

There is a book put out by the Discover Channel called the Legacy of the World's Greatest Ocean Liner. It's by Susan Wels. There is a picture of one of the postcards in there.

Don,
Thanks for posting that picture and for the information. It's really helpful. Again, thank you.

 

[Mandy Le Boutillier]

Hi Nicole - I forgot to mention (you may have already seen them) that both JGP's Titanic cards are pictured in the book 'Titanic, Fortune & Fate' by Beverly McMillan and the Mariners Museum. One of the captions is wrong though as JGP's handwriting has been misread as saying 'Phil' when in fact he was talking about his sister Ethel.

 

[Allison Lane]

>> Yes, Jack continues to cut the romantic figure he did in life. Even his handwriting is 'romantic'! <<

Well... it's not that I think Jack is good-looking (which I do, but that's not the point). It's just that I tend to be a kind of visual person--for instance, I'm a big Phantom of the Opera fan, and so I have this gargantuan collection of pictures from the stage productions. It's the same with the Titanic--I love collecting pictures of the officers and crew because I guess it makes them more real to me, being 90+ years removed and way too young to have been contemporary with any of the survivors. So seeing that picture of Jack means a lot to me. Anyway, I'll quit raving now.

Thanks for the heads-up, Nicole--I'll have to check that out.


-Allison L.

 

[trevor ward powell]

hello

After wishing to obtain a JGP postcard myself, i have done some research, and learned of an upcoming '05 auction that will be selling several of his pc's. Mr Aldridge was kind enough to reply.

Thank you for your inquiry, our next sale is April 8th and we have several cards from Mr Phillips for auction. They generally sell for £300-£500 each.

Kind Regards

Andrew Aldridge

They have sold many postcards jack wrote to his sister over the years, prior to 1912

In fact, they have sold many titanic artifacts recently (link below)

http://www.henry-aldridge.co.uk/gallery.htm

- Trevor

 

[trevor ward powell]

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6511404437&category=28265

Theres a Jack Phillips postcard up for grabs on ebay. A may 1911 one!!

 

[Mandy Le Boutillier]

Hey Everybody,
I've been looking at the photo that Don very kindly took the time to post and, while the last thing I want to do is cause upset or put the cat among the pigeons, I must say that I have my doubts.

On the face of it, the circumstantial evidence is good. A photo of a callow youth of around 17 years old, taken in a Post Office telegraph room, posted in Surrey and addressed to a 'Miss Phillips'.

There is a similarity in the facial shape of the boy in the picture, but having compared it to those of both Jack Phillips and his father, I am not convinced, especially by his eyes. It's true that in 1904, Jack was working for the Post Office, but in the Godalming Branch not Woking (which is around 30 minutes away by car).

Without an initial it is impossible to tell if 'Miss Phillips' was Ethel or Elsie, or indeed one of the Phillips Aunts, and the address is unfamiliar.

The thing that bothers me most, however,is the sign off. 'Kindest Regards Reg' just doesn't add up to me as, surely 'Reg' is short for 'Reginald'? I've seen a fair amount of Jack's correspondence over the years and have only ever seen him use three variations of his signature. When writing to his family he commonly wrote simply 'Love Jack'. Naturally it is impossible to say for sure without seeing the handwriting on the card but those are my thoughts, for what they are worth. As I said, I have no desire to cause upset but I thought I should raise my concerns.
All the best - Mandy.