Lot #733: Vintage 1910 Ontario Postcard - "Speight Wagon Co. Works, Markham" - "Souvenir of Markham, A.C.T." - One 1¢ Green "Edward VII Coronation" stamp

One Vintage 1910 Ontario Canada Postcard, used, showing "Speight Wagon Co. Works, Markham". The publisher of this richly coloured postcard is unidentified except for the legend "Souvenir of Markham, A.C.T." Includes One Green 1903 One-Cent "King Edward VII Coronation Robe" Stamp. Postmarked and dated April 1910. This postcard is a fascinating piece of local industrial heritage. By 1910, the Speight Wagon Company was one of Markham’s most significant employers and a major force in Ontario’s manufacturing landscape. Founded by James Speight, the company produced a wide variety of horse-drawn vehicles, from sturdy farm wagons to elegant carriages. Their massive factory complex near the railway tracks was the heart of Markham’s economy before the rise of the automobile. The year 1910 was near the peak of the company's success. Just a few years later, the rise of the motorized truck would begin to challenge the wagon industry, making this card a record of the height of "horse-power" manufacturing. The "A.C.T." of the legend "Souvenir of Markham, A.C.T." likely points to a local merchant rather than a major national publisher. In the 1900s and 1910s, it was common for local general stores or druggists in Ontario towns to commission their own "private label" postcards. Thus, the initials "A.C.T." likey, refer to the initials of the local shop owner who ordered the cards. In many small Ontario towns, the local postmaster or the owner of the "Book & Stationery" shop would have these printed (often using high-quality German or British lithographers) to sell exclusively in their store. Even though the publisher is small and local, the "richly coloured" nature of the card suggests it was likely part of a high-quality production run. Most of these early 20th-century industrial views of Ontario towns were sent to Germany for printing. industrial postcards like this Speight Works postcard are highly valued by local historians because they provide a visual record of "lost" architecture—many of these massive wooden and brick factory complexes were eventually destroyed by fire or demolished. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}