George V. Millar

George V. Millar from West Scranton was proprietor of a large department store specializing in various household goods and sundries and became known as a regional postcard publisher offering a vast array of postcards in both color and black and white formats. His publishing area mainly encompassed all of the anthracite fields, northeastern Pennsylvania, New York’s southern tier around the greater Binghamton area and northwestern New Jersey near the Delaware Water Gap.

Millar’s postcards are easy to identify as most feature some variation of his name and a production number. Names include George V. Millar, G.V. Millar and Geo. V. Millar. His first publishing efforts came in the undivided back era and concentrated on various mining scenes throughout the anthracite region. These cards are black and white and are numbered between 1 and 100. The exact stopping point is unknown to me at this time.

Collecting these mining views can be a bit frustrating in that the postcard often has a false imprint as to location. Just as other publishers quickly learned that vehicles shown in postcard images become quickly dated and shortened the shelf life of the product, Millar realized that identifying a scene at a specific mine or town locale would limit sales appeal beyond that immediate area. Thus with perhaps some capriciousness in his marketing strategy Millar issued most of his first hundred postcards imprinted for multiple locations in the anthracite region. Some such as No. 10 can be easily identified as it is a recognizable coal breaker but his many views of miners and mine interiors make it almost impossible to nail down the correct location.

Millar’s postcard numbering then jumps to 1000. Beginning with 1000 and running through approximately 1000 numbers to 2000, these postcards are divided backs and are in color. The majority are not anthracite coal related and at least two sequences are of locales outside the anthracite region. One covers Mt. Gretna in Lebanon County and the second loosely follows the route of the PRR westward from Harrisburg, the latter being printed for the Union News Co. Scranton, his home town is prominently featured and it should be noted that there is a third sequence of numbers showing mining scenes that were published and printed for J.W. Evans of Olyphant in 1914. These postcards bear Millar numbers 1760-1780 as well as Evan’s imprint.

Because a few undivided back postcards due exist in black and white above the 1000-2000 production run, it is conceivable that Millar left a large gap in his numbering system and then backtracked some 4000-5000 numbers in choosing the sequence for his colored divided back views.
Miller then returned to black and white printing and produced perhaps an additional 20,000 views consecutively numbered spread throughout his coverage area. Mixed throughout are additional mining scenes and named anthracite breakers.

By now Millar had developed a distinctive imprint logo showing a stone arch bridge over a stream of water inside an oval. Because Millar did some production and printing work for other publishers, his trademark does not appear on all of his postcards. Often times there will be instead a logo for the Times Printery in Scranton where much of the physical printing was done.

Because I collect variations and multiple print runs, my checklisting for Millar includes multiple locations where known. I am not including Millar postcards outside the anthracite region since my emphasis in this section of the website is just anthracite coal mining. It should also not be assumed that all location details are necessarily false. Some are indeed accurate. Again, I solicit input to fill in some of the blanks and to identify other locations for specific cards.

 

EraFormatNumberLocationDescription
Undivided BackB&W6PottsvilleInspecting a Break in Mine Roof
Undivided BackB&W10No Location ImprintCoal Breaker
Undivided BackB&W13Panther Creek ValleyMine Opening
Undivided BackB&W15PittstonBreaker Boys at Dinner Hour
Undivided BackB&W15Summit HillBreaker Boys at Dinner Hour
Undivided BackB&W16No Location ImprintCoal Breaker and Culm Pile
Undivided BackB&W41NesquehoningInspecting a Break in the Roof
Undivided BackB&W41PottsvilleInspecting a Break in the Roof
Undivided BackB&W51No Location ImprintPicking Coal From Culm Bank
Undivided BackB&W52Panther Creek ValleyFire Boss Making Test For Gas…
Undivided BackB&W53
Undivided BackB&W54ShamokinBreaker Boys and Miners
Undivided BackB&W55CarbondaleCoal Breaker and Yards
Undivided BackB&W55HazletonCoal Breaker and Yards
Undivided BackB&W55LansfordCoal Breaker and Yards
Undivided BackB&W55No Location ImprintCoal Breaker and Yards
Undivided BackB&W55PittstonCoal Breaker and Yards
Undivided BackB&W56No Location ImprintDouble Shaft, 500 Feet Deep
Undivided BackB&W57PottsvilleMine Tunnel Entrance
Undivided BackB&W58FreelandAt Foot of Coal Shaft
Undivided BackB&W58Mauch ChunkAt Foot of Coal Shaft
Undivided BackB&W58No Location ImprintAt Foot of Coal Shaft
Undivided BackB&W59LykensSinking Shaft "On The Bucket"
Undivided BackB&W59TamaquaSinking Shaft "On The Bucket"
Undivided BackB&W70TamaquaCar on Cage at Foot of Shaft
Undivided BackB&W71ShamokinHappy Days
Undivided BackB&W72ScrantonDigging Black Diamonds
Undivided BackB&W72ShamokinDigging Black Diamonds
Undivided BackB&W73No Location ImprintHobo Mines - Coal Coming Out…
Undivided BackB&W74ShenandoahOut Into the Daylight
Undivided BackB&W7149AshlandShort Mountain Slope
Undivided BackB&W7167TremontIn the Slope
Undivided BackB&W7168ShamokinHauling Culm to Washery
Undivided BackB&W7168TamaquaHauling Culm to Washery
Divided BackCOLOR1034LykensCompanions About the Mines
Divided BackCOLOR1065PottsvilleMine Tunnel Entrance
Divided BackCOLOR1067No Location ImprintMountain Slope
Divided BackCOLOR1067PottsvilleMountain Slope
Divided BackCOLOR1067ShenandoahMountain Slope
Divided BackCOLOR1068ScrantonMine Boss at Desk
Divided BackCOLOR1069Mahanoy CityCoal Pickers Returning With….
Divided BackCOLOR1070ShenandoahBreaker Boys at Work
Divided BackCOLOR1071ShamokinInterior of Coal Mine
Divided BackCOLOR1071Summit HillInterior of Coal Mine
Divided BackCOLOR1073Mahanoy CityBringing Mules Out of the Mine
Divided BackCOLOR1073PottsvilleBringing Mules Out of the Mine
Divided BackCOLOR1073ScrantonBringing Mules Out of the Mine
Divided BackCOLOR1073ShamokinBringing Mules Out of the Mine
Divided BackCOLOR1074AshlandCoal Breaker
Divided BackCOLOR1074PottsvilleCoal Breaker
Divided BackCOLOR1074ShenandoahCoal Breaker
Divided BackCOLOR1074St. ClairCoal Breaker
Divided BackCOLOR1074WeatherlyCoal Breaker
Divided BackCOLOR1084LykensCompanions About the Mines
Divided BackCOLOR1114Coal Dale (sic)Pay Day at the Colliery
Divided BackCOLOR1114No Location ImprintPay Day at the Colliery
Divided BackCOLOR1135No Location ImprintSlate Pickers at the Coal Breaker
Divided BackCOLOR1548LykensDinkie Switching Engine at the Mines
Divided BackCOLOR1548No Location ImprintDinkie Switching Engine at the Mines
Divided BackCOLOR1549ShamokinCameron Colliery
Divided BackCOLOR1550No Location ImprintEntrance to Slope
Divided BackCOLOR1550No Location ImprintEntrance to Slope
Divided BackCOLOR1551PottsvilleCoal Breaker and Workings
Divided BackCOLOR1554No Location ImprintBreaker and Culm Pile
Divided BackCOLOR1554ShenandoahBreaker and Culm Pile
Divided BackCOLOR1760Olyphant - EvansTesting For Gas
Divided BackCOLOR1761Olyphant - Evans
Divided BackCOLOR1762Olyphant - Evans
Divided BackCOLOR1763Olyphant - EvansMiners Entering
Divided BackCOLOR1764Olyphant - Evans
Divided BackCOLOR1765Olyphant - EvansPreparing Powder for Blast
Divided BackCOLOR1766Olyphant - Evans
Divided BackCOLOR1767Olyphant - EvansLoading Coal After Blast
Divided BackCOLOR1768Olyphant - EvansBarring Down Bad Roof
Divided BackCOLOR1769Olyphant - EvansCaught Under Fall of Roof
Divided BackCOLOR1770Olyphant - EvansFirst Aid To Injured
Divided BackCOLOR1771Olyphant - EvansPulling Car from Chamber
Divided BackCOLOR1772Olyphant - EvansCars Ready For Removal by Motor
Divided BackCOLOR1773Olyphant - EvansLoosing (sic) Control. Motor Crashes
Divided BackCOLOR1774Olyphant - EvansHauling Cars by Electric Motor
Divided BackCOLOR1775Olyphant - EvansFoot of Shaft
Divided BackCOLOR1776Olyphant - EvansDumping Coal Into Breaker
Divided BackCOLOR1777Olyphant - EvansExamining Abandoned Workings
Divided BackCOLOR1778Olyphant - EvansFireproof Mule Barn In Mine
Divided BackCOLOR1779Olyphant - EvansOlacing Points For Chamber Course
Divided BackCOLOR1780Olyphant - EvansBurning of an Anth. Breaker at Night
Divided BackB&W6419PottsvilleBreaker Boys at Dinner Hour
Divided BackB&W6419WilliamstownSummit Branch Breaker
Divided BackB&W6720No Location Imprint400 Feet Under Surface
Divided BackB&W6721No Location ImprintCoal Breaker
Divided BackB&W6722No Location ImprintSlate Pickers
Divided BackCOLOR7149AshlandShort Mountain Slope
Divided BackCOLOR7167TremontIn The Slope
Divided BackCOLOR7168TamaquaBringing Culm to Washery
Divided BackCOLOR7367WilliamstownNo. 2 Shaft
Divided BackB&W7739TamaquaNo. 10 Breaker
Divided BackB&W7890Mount CarmelSayre Colliery
Divided BackB&W7989NesquehoningMiners at Tunnel No. 1
Divided BackB&W8275TamaquaNo. 8 and 9 Breakers
Divided BackB&W8503ShamokinLuke Fiddler Breaker
Divided BackB&W8506ShamokinCameron Breaker
Divided BackB&W8609Summit HillThe Caves
Divided BackB&W8831TamaquaNo. 6 Breaker…and Surroundings
Divided BackB&W8850HazletonNo. 40 Breaker
Divided BackB&W8903ShamokinOutside View About the Mines
Divided BackB&W8905ShamokinPennsylvania Colliery
Divided BackB&W8907ShamokinPenna. Colliery Dinkies
Divided BackB&W8910Mt. CarmelSix Mule Team Hauling Props…
Divided BackB&W8910ShamokinSix Mule Team Hauling Props…
Divided BackB&W8914Mt. CarmelBoiler House at Penna. Colliery
Divided BackB&W8914ShamokinBoiler Room at Colliery
Divided BackB&W9252TrevortonNorth Franklin Colliery
Divided BackB&W9270St. ClairSt. Clair Coal Company Strippings
Divided BackB&W9273St. ClairHerbine Breaker
Divided BackB&W10161MinersvilleInterior of Mine Tunnel
Divided BackB&W10161ShamokinInterior of Mine Tunnel
Divided BackB&W10163ShamokinCoal Hole and Miners
Divided BackB&W10164MinersvilleEmergency Hospital in the Mines
Divided BackB&W10165
Divided BackB&W10166ShenandoahEmergency Hospital in the Mines
Divided BackB&W10182Panther Creek ValleyDumping Culm
Divided BackB&W10459Summit HillRR at $3,000,000 Burning Mine
Divided BackB&W10464Summit HillFighting Apparatus at $3,000,000…
Divided BackB&W10641LykensMiners Going to Work
Divided BackB&W10641Panther Creek ValleyMiners Going to Work
Divided BackB&W10642LykensAll Aboard for the Mine Tunnel
Divided BackB&W10642Mahanoy CityAll Aboard for the Mine Tunnel
Divided BackB&W12016Panther Creek ValleyElectric Mine Motor
Divided BackB&W12016ShamokinElectric Mine Motor
Divided BackB&W12016ShamokinPreparing Props for the Mines
Divided BackB&W12017NesquehoningMiners Starting Up the Plane
Divided BackB&W12139JeddoJeddo No. 4 Breaker
Divided BackB&W12151JeddoJeddo No. 4 Breaker
Divided BackB&W12152JeddoHighland No. 5 Breaker
Divided BackB&W12194No Location ImprintSlate Pickers at the Coal Breaker
Divided BackB&W12196ShamokinMany Feet Under Ground…