a belfast printer

Marcus Ward

Marcus Ward & Company Belfast (1802-99) In 1802 John Ward, Robert Greenfield and James Blow started up as a paper manufacturers in Belfast, which was at that time the thriving centre of paper production in the Province of Ulster. By the late 1820s John Ward had dissolved the original partnership and founded John Ward & Sons. He expanded the business to include printing and wholesale stationery at his premises at 97 Ann Street, next door to Joy’s Entry, in Belfast.

When John Ward died in 1836 his son Marcus concentrated on the stationery and printing side of the company. He changed the name of the company to Marcus Ward & Sons and took on new premises in Pottinger’s Entry, Belfast. Marcus Ward died in 1847 at the relatively young age of 41 and his eldest sons from his first and second marriages, Francis David Ward and John Ward inherited the expanding business. John Ward was one of the first graduates from the newly founded Belfast School of Design (1849) and was to play a key role defining the future development of the firm.

John Ward wanted to open up education and art to a wider public. He held public art exhibitions on the company premises. He employed the Newcastle-upon-Tyne born artist John Vinycomb (1833-1928) as the company’s artistic director. Vinycomb organised drawing classes at the art studios of Marcus Ward & Sons after normal working hours. These classes were held under the company’s auspices and were open to all for the price of a penny a session. Vinycomb was an internationally acknowledged expert in heraldry who was regularly consulted by the British and European Royalty and Aristocracy. He was also a lifelong friend of the antiquarian F.J. Bigger and collaborated with him in his researches into Irish heraldry. Through this he influenced the design of the original Feis na nGleann of 1904, particularly the Clan Banners carried in the opening parade of the Feis. John Ward also entered into a longstanding business agreement with the philanthropist and educationalist Vere Foster (1819-1900) designing and publishing the Vere Foster National School writing copybooks. These books became fast familiar friends to anyone learning how to read and write during the late Victorian period and were fondly remembered.

In 1855 Marcus Ward & Sons moved to new premises, occupying a large building on Donegall Street in Belfast. The extra space permitted them to expand the art department as well as house the latest in steam powered printing machinery. Under the direction of John Ward they pioneered the technical development of colour lithography. Their quality lithographs and distinctive designs were used on company labels and logos, children’s books, calendars and greetings cards. The company employed many famous artists of the day including Kate Greenaway, and Thomas and Walter Crane. In the high Victorian era the greetings cards of Marcus Ward & Sons were considered to be the hallmark of good taste.

By the 1890s Marcus Ward & Sons occupied a purpose built factory of four and a half acres off the Dublin Road called the Royal Ulster Works. It employed 1400 men and women and possessed ten separate art departments specialising in lithography, Christmas card manufacture, box-making, linen-cutting, binding, heraldry, stationery, enamelling and letter-pressing with five further branches in Dublin, New York, Melbourne, Capetown and London. However, it failed to adapt to increasing competition from cheaper mass manufacture and finally shut its doors forever in 1899.

John Ward Having actively pursued his personal passion for antiquarianism and Egyptology died in 1916 in the house that he had built for himself. This is now the official residence of the Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University, Belfast.

Due to their superb quality and craftsmanship many of the original lithographs of Marcus Ward & Sons have survived. One of the finest collections remains in the care of the Irish and reference departments of Belfast Central Library. A virtual exhibition of this material may be found at: http://www.ni-libraries.net/virtual/marcus-ward/

Another rich source of Marcus Ward designs, as well as similar printed images and photographs from the Victorian era may be found at: www.scrapalbum.com (Header image courtesy of www.scrapalbum.com)

 

Reference:

D Roger Dixon (2004). Marcus Ward and Company of Belfast. Belfast Education and Library Board

 

 

 

 

Marcus Ward and Company, The Royal Ulster Works, Dublin Road, Belfast (sited between Bankmore Street and Marcus Ward Street)

Marcus Ward Bookplate designed for F.J. Bigger by John Vinycomb, circa
1898

John Vinycomb, circa 1910