The People of Gibraltar
1905 - V.B. Cumbo  - Catalan Bay . . or Commercial Square?

V.B.Cumbo - later Cumbo and Montegreiffo - was one of the larger local publishers of souvenir photo-booklets and tinted collotype view-cards depicting Gibraltar. The company probably produced most of its postcards during the early 20th century although they continued to be sold long after that.

In the 1900s 38 views of Gibraltar - many of them shown in the examples below - were published in an attractive red leather bound book. The address of the company is given as 19 Church Street which means that they were almost next door to Beanland Malin ( see LINK ) who were also an important local postcard publisher and almost certainly a direct competitor. 

Curiously in the early days of the century pictures rarely occupied the entire space available on the front of the card thus allowing the sender to make whatever comments he or she felt appropriate.


The sender of this card was obviously taken by the presence of exotic characters wandering around Gibraltar ( 1903 )


This card has been wrongly labelled. It shows a scene in Commercial Square rather than Catalan Bay. The sender, who seems to be the same person who wrote the previous one, had obviously visited Catalan Bay - but still failed to notice the mistake ( 1903 )

The following is a selection of Cumbo's best sellers. They were sold both tinted and in black and white. The photographers are unknown to me.  



Garrison Library


Moorish Castle


Alameda Gardens


Eliott Memorial


Alameda Gardens


Alameda Gardens (2)


Alameda Gardens (3)


Cascade Alameda Gardens 


Kingsway Alameda


Alameda Parade


Alameda (4)


Assembly Rooms


Buena Vista (1)


Buena Vista (2)


Buena Vista (3)


Casemates (1)


Casemates (2)


Catalan Bay


Cathedral


Commercial Square (1) 


Commercial Square (2)


The Convent


Construction of Dry Dock 3


HMS Edward VII in Dry Dock 3


Europa Point


Europa Point (2)


Main Street


Rock from the South Mole


The Galleries


Rosia Gas Works


The Glacis


Governor's Cottage


The Harbour


The Harbour (2)


The Harbour (3)


The Colonial Hospital


Landport and Castle


Garrison Library 


Main Street


Market


Market (2)


Monkey's Caves


Moorish Castle

Naval Hospital


Neutral Ground


New Mole


Rock from Sta Barbara


Spanish Frontier


Protestant Cathedral 


Rock and Neutral Ground


Rock from Old Mole


 Rock from Spain



Rock from Spain (2)


Rock from Spain (3) 


Rock from the Sea



Rock from La Linea


Rock from Rosia


Rosia Road


Artichoke Seller


Signal Hill


South Port Gates


The Synagogue


Town towards the North

Commercial Wharf
Commercial Wharf (2)