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Fototipia Thomas

Barcelona, Spain (Printer, Publisher)

Fototipia Thomas was founded in 1880 by Joseph Thomas i Bigas (1852–1910) on the Gran Via in Barcelona. In 1898, the firm moved to 375 calle Mallorca. Joseph Thomas was himself a photographer, and the firm specialized in the printing and sometimes publishing of photographs. The firm employed a variety of printing techniques: heliograveur, collotype, lithography, and Fotochrom. Beginning in 1901, Fototipia Thomas began to print real photograph postcards both for the company and for other publishers. Beginning in 1905, the firm published collections of cards from different parts of the Spanish-speaking world. These included cityscapes, urban landscapes, natural areas, engineering works, popular culture, and a region's artistic heritage, usually employing photographs from uncredited photographers. After the death of Joseph Thomas, the firm was run by his sons under the name Hijos de J. Thomas.

Fototipia Thomas Logo
Fototipia Thomas Logo


References

Jaume Tarrés, "Josep Thomas i la 'Sociedad Heliográfica Española': Origen de les impressions en fotograat a l’Estat," Revista Cartófila 26 (December 2007), 21–32.