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.
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
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)