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.
Era | Format | Number | Location | Description |
Undivided Back | B&W | 6 | Pottsville | Inspecting a Break in Mine Roof |
Undivided Back | B&W | 10 | No Location Imprint | Coal Breaker |
Undivided Back | B&W | 13 | Panther Creek Valley | Mine Opening |
Undivided Back | B&W | 15 | Pittston | Breaker Boys at Dinner Hour |
Undivided Back | B&W | 15 | Summit Hill | Breaker Boys at Dinner Hour |
Undivided Back | B&W | 16 | No Location Imprint | Coal Breaker and Culm Pile |
Undivided Back | B&W | 41 | Nesquehoning | Inspecting a Break in the Roof |
Undivided Back | B&W | 41 | Pottsville | Inspecting a Break in the Roof |
Undivided Back | B&W | 51 | No Location Imprint | Picking Coal From Culm Bank |
Undivided Back | B&W | 52 | Panther Creek Valley | Fire Boss Making Test For Gas… |
Undivided Back | B&W | 53 | ||
Undivided Back | B&W | 54 | Shamokin | Breaker Boys and Miners |
Undivided Back | B&W | 55 | Carbondale | Coal Breaker and Yards |
Undivided Back | B&W | 55 | Hazleton | Coal Breaker and Yards |
Undivided Back | B&W | 55 | Lansford | Coal Breaker and Yards |
Undivided Back | B&W | 55 | No Location Imprint | Coal Breaker and Yards |
Undivided Back | B&W | 55 | Pittston | Coal Breaker and Yards |
Undivided Back | B&W | 56 | No Location Imprint | Double Shaft, 500 Feet Deep |
Undivided Back | B&W | 57 | Pottsville | Mine Tunnel Entrance |
Undivided Back | B&W | 58 | Freeland | At Foot of Coal Shaft |
Undivided Back | B&W | 58 | Mauch Chunk | At Foot of Coal Shaft |
Undivided Back | B&W | 58 | No Location Imprint | At Foot of Coal Shaft |
Undivided Back | B&W | 59 | Lykens | Sinking Shaft "On The Bucket" |
Undivided Back | B&W | 59 | Tamaqua | Sinking Shaft "On The Bucket" |
Undivided Back | B&W | 70 | Tamaqua | Car on Cage at Foot of Shaft |
Undivided Back | B&W | 71 | Shamokin | Happy Days |
Undivided Back | B&W | 72 | Scranton | Digging Black Diamonds |
Undivided Back | B&W | 72 | Shamokin | Digging Black Diamonds |
Undivided Back | B&W | 73 | No Location Imprint | Hobo Mines - Coal Coming Out… |
Undivided Back | B&W | 74 | Shenandoah | Out Into the Daylight |
Undivided Back | B&W | 7149 | Ashland | Short Mountain Slope |
Undivided Back | B&W | 7167 | Tremont | In the Slope |
Undivided Back | B&W | 7168 | Shamokin | Hauling Culm to Washery |
Undivided Back | B&W | 7168 | Tamaqua | Hauling Culm to Washery |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1034 | Lykens | Companions About the Mines |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1065 | Pottsville | Mine Tunnel Entrance |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1067 | No Location Imprint | Mountain Slope |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1067 | Pottsville | Mountain Slope |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1067 | Shenandoah | Mountain Slope |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1068 | Scranton | Mine Boss at Desk |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1069 | Mahanoy City | Coal Pickers Returning With…. |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1070 | Shenandoah | Breaker Boys at Work |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1071 | Shamokin | Interior of Coal Mine |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1071 | Summit Hill | Interior of Coal Mine |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1073 | Mahanoy City | Bringing Mules Out of the Mine |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1073 | Pottsville | Bringing Mules Out of the Mine |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1073 | Scranton | Bringing Mules Out of the Mine |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1073 | Shamokin | Bringing Mules Out of the Mine |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1074 | Ashland | Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1074 | Pottsville | Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1074 | Shenandoah | Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1074 | St. Clair | Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1074 | Weatherly | Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1084 | Lykens | Companions About the Mines |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1114 | Coal Dale (sic) | Pay Day at the Colliery |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1114 | No Location Imprint | Pay Day at the Colliery |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1135 | No Location Imprint | Slate Pickers at the Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1548 | Lykens | Dinkie Switching Engine at the Mines |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1548 | No Location Imprint | Dinkie Switching Engine at the Mines |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1549 | Shamokin | Cameron Colliery |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1550 | No Location Imprint | Entrance to Slope |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1550 | No Location Imprint | Entrance to Slope |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1551 | Pottsville | Coal Breaker and Workings |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1554 | No Location Imprint | Breaker and Culm Pile |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1554 | Shenandoah | Breaker and Culm Pile |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1760 | Olyphant - Evans | Testing For Gas |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1761 | Olyphant - Evans | |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1762 | Olyphant - Evans | |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1763 | Olyphant - Evans | Miners Entering |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1764 | Olyphant - Evans | |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1765 | Olyphant - Evans | Preparing Powder for Blast |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1766 | Olyphant - Evans | |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1767 | Olyphant - Evans | Loading Coal After Blast |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1768 | Olyphant - Evans | Barring Down Bad Roof |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1769 | Olyphant - Evans | Caught Under Fall of Roof |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1770 | Olyphant - Evans | First Aid To Injured |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1771 | Olyphant - Evans | Pulling Car from Chamber |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1772 | Olyphant - Evans | Cars Ready For Removal by Motor |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1773 | Olyphant - Evans | Loosing (sic) Control. Motor Crashes |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1774 | Olyphant - Evans | Hauling Cars by Electric Motor |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1775 | Olyphant - Evans | Foot of Shaft |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1776 | Olyphant - Evans | Dumping Coal Into Breaker |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1777 | Olyphant - Evans | Examining Abandoned Workings |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1778 | Olyphant - Evans | Fireproof Mule Barn In Mine |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1779 | Olyphant - Evans | Olacing Points For Chamber Course |
Divided Back | COLOR | 1780 | Olyphant - Evans | Burning of an Anth. Breaker at Night |
Divided Back | B&W | 6419 | Pottsville | Breaker Boys at Dinner Hour |
Divided Back | B&W | 6419 | Williamstown | Summit Branch Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 6720 | No Location Imprint | 400 Feet Under Surface |
Divided Back | B&W | 6721 | No Location Imprint | Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 6722 | No Location Imprint | Slate Pickers |
Divided Back | COLOR | 7149 | Ashland | Short Mountain Slope |
Divided Back | COLOR | 7167 | Tremont | In The Slope |
Divided Back | COLOR | 7168 | Tamaqua | Bringing Culm to Washery |
Divided Back | COLOR | 7367 | Williamstown | No. 2 Shaft |
Divided Back | B&W | 7739 | Tamaqua | No. 10 Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 7890 | Mount Carmel | Sayre Colliery |
Divided Back | B&W | 7989 | Nesquehoning | Miners at Tunnel No. 1 |
Divided Back | B&W | 8275 | Tamaqua | No. 8 and 9 Breakers |
Divided Back | B&W | 8503 | Shamokin | Luke Fiddler Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 8506 | Shamokin | Cameron Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 8609 | Summit Hill | The Caves |
Divided Back | B&W | 8831 | Tamaqua | No. 6 Breaker…and Surroundings |
Divided Back | B&W | 8850 | Hazleton | No. 40 Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 8903 | Shamokin | Outside View About the Mines |
Divided Back | B&W | 8905 | Shamokin | Pennsylvania Colliery |
Divided Back | B&W | 8907 | Shamokin | Penna. Colliery Dinkies |
Divided Back | B&W | 8910 | Mt. Carmel | Six Mule Team Hauling Props… |
Divided Back | B&W | 8910 | Shamokin | Six Mule Team Hauling Props… |
Divided Back | B&W | 8914 | Mt. Carmel | Boiler House at Penna. Colliery |
Divided Back | B&W | 8914 | Shamokin | Boiler Room at Colliery |
Divided Back | B&W | 9252 | Trevorton | North Franklin Colliery |
Divided Back | B&W | 9270 | St. Clair | St. Clair Coal Company Strippings |
Divided Back | B&W | 9273 | St. Clair | Herbine Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 10161 | Minersville | Interior of Mine Tunnel |
Divided Back | B&W | 10161 | Shamokin | Interior of Mine Tunnel |
Divided Back | B&W | 10163 | Shamokin | Coal Hole and Miners |
Divided Back | B&W | 10164 | Minersville | Emergency Hospital in the Mines |
Divided Back | B&W | 10165 | ||
Divided Back | B&W | 10166 | Shenandoah | Emergency Hospital in the Mines |
Divided Back | B&W | 10182 | Panther Creek Valley | Dumping Culm |
Divided Back | B&W | 10459 | Summit Hill | RR at $3,000,000 Burning Mine |
Divided Back | B&W | 10464 | Summit Hill | Fighting Apparatus at $3,000,000… |
Divided Back | B&W | 10641 | Lykens | Miners Going to Work |
Divided Back | B&W | 10641 | Panther Creek Valley | Miners Going to Work |
Divided Back | B&W | 10642 | Lykens | All Aboard for the Mine Tunnel |
Divided Back | B&W | 10642 | Mahanoy City | All Aboard for the Mine Tunnel |
Divided Back | B&W | 12016 | Panther Creek Valley | Electric Mine Motor |
Divided Back | B&W | 12016 | Shamokin | Electric Mine Motor |
Divided Back | B&W | 12016 | Shamokin | Preparing Props for the Mines |
Divided Back | B&W | 12017 | Nesquehoning | Miners Starting Up the Plane |
Divided Back | B&W | 12139 | Jeddo | Jeddo No. 4 Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 12151 | Jeddo | Jeddo No. 4 Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 12152 | Jeddo | Highland No. 5 Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 12194 | No Location Imprint | Slate Pickers at the Coal Breaker |
Divided Back | B&W | 12196 | Shamokin | Many Feet Under Ground… |