Sockl and Nathan

Sockl and Nathan was a 19th-century greeting cards and publishing company, created and managed by Victor Sockl and Saul Nathan.

History

The brothers Victor Franz Thedor Sockl and Carl Sockl (sons of the painters Theodor Sockl and Clara Adelheid Soterius von Sachsenheim) emigrated from the Austrian Empire to Britain in the second half of the 19th century, most likely to escape the unrest in Central Europe following the 1848 Revolution, and to avoid being conscripted. Here Victor would set up a greeting cards company together with Saul Nathan (Carl being the accountant of the company).^[1]

They obtained the Royal Warrant, and the company specialised in reproductions printed by hand in Leipzig, Germany based on paintings by artists they had selected themselves (these preceding the mass-produced card market). The business was successful for a time and was based at 4 Hamsell Street, City of London. Often their cards were just marked copyright, as the partner's name was Jewish and they were afraid of persecution.^[1] The company functioned also as a publishing house.^[2]

A fire in a next-door property caused extensive damage to their stock and the company struggled to survive after this. Eventually, it fell into decline (precipitated also by the beginning of the mass-produced greetings card companies in the years that followed).^[1] The partners dissolved the company in February 1897.^[3]

A collection of about 200 cards remained in the propriety of Sockl's family, about 100 were sold to an art dealer and exhibited in a Wimbledon gallery and another 100 were donated to the Ephemera Society.^[1]

Reception

Sockl and Nathan greeting cards were featured in the magazines and journals of those times, especially in the 1880 decade.^[4] Some remarked novel card concepts launched by this company, like the autograph cards.^[5]