WINCH BROTHERS

2011-2025 Copyright John N. Lupia, III

John Miller Winch (1857-1934), George Henry Winch (1858-1889), and Frederick William Winch (1861-1904), began as dealers of colorized albumen portraits, photographs of antiques and antiquities, carte de visite, real photo postcards, and rare postage stamps for collectors circa 1880 at Colchester, Essex County, England.

The eldest brother John Miller Winch was born at 41 Priory Street, Colchester, Essex County, England, in April 1857, son of John Winch (1808-1870), and Maria Edwards Winch (1820-1864). John was trained as an artist and painter and about 1880 became also a stamp dealer. In 1921 he married Mary Jane Barton (b. 1876). He died on October 15, 1934.

George Henry Winch (1858-1889), also born at Colchester of the same parents in October 1858.

Frederick William Winch (1861-1904), was also born at Colchester of the same parents in July 1861.

1879 Advertisement in Ward & Lock's Tourists Picturesque Guide to Ireland & Wicklow.

1880 - display advertisement in The Antiquary, Volume 2, page 136, offering photographic views to London, Scotland, Paris, and Rome. Also offering photography services for carte de visite and portraits. The last paragraph selling rare stamps and offering a free stamp album.

Winch Brothers advertisement in Bookseller (newspaper) January 5, 1883, page 558, selling chrystoleum prints, which were colorized albumen prints which were very popular in the late Victorian period, that is, in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.

1884-display advertisement in The Antiquarian and Bibliographer, Volume 6, page 48. They called themselves "photographic publishers" printing postcards of antique statuary old masters paintings, in the Vatican, Paris, London and Scotland as well as rare stamp dealers.

1886 Advertsement in an exhibition catalog titled Notes on the Pictures of Mr. Holman Hunt, Exhibited at the Rooms of the Fine Art Society, London, 1886.

The Winch Brothers, Twelfth Edition, 1889, Foreign Stamps and Crest Prospectus, and Price List of Stamp and Crest Albums. The British Peerage had family crests, arms and monograms printed as poster stamps, bookplates, etc., which were highly collectible as a branch of philately. This was the year of the death of George Henry Winch (1858-1889, leaving John and Frederick to continue the family business.

May 27, 1890 Gus B. Calman, partner in Scott Stamp & Coin Ltd., #216 duplex cancel, RPO station G. minor chip on back flap upper left corner, Colchester receiving cancel. Calman wrote to the stamp dealing house of the Winch Brothers. From 1890 until 1911, John Winch worked as a professional photographer, at 208 Magdalen Street, Colchester and simultaneously worked at his other careers as a foreign stamp dealer & artist . Courtesy Lupia Numismatic and Philatelic Library. $400 write john@numismaticmall.com

1903 Advertisement in the Esperantist, with text in both Esperanto and in English. 

1904 the second brother to die was Frederick William Winch (1861-1904), leaving John Miller Winch as the sole survivor to run the family business.

The Winch Brothers advertisement in the International Shipping World annual directory of 1905. In his ad John Miller Winch claimed to have established the family business in 1870 though no trace of stamp dealing searching so far has turned up any evidence of their 1870 activity and nothing before 1879. It is very probable that 13 year old John traded stamps, covers and cards with his peers as was popular from the 1860's on. Many dealers claimed an earlier established date, no doubt referring to their origin in the hobby since it gave them an aura of being more mature, knowledgeable, reliable and trustworthy. Their ads started claiming 1870 as their establishment since 1886. The ad displays a Winch Bros. Cinderella.

John Miller Winch, Colchester Street Scene, 1915 oil on canvas. 24.1 cm X 34.3 cm. 

The above citation is Courtesy of the Suffolk Artists Website which shows several of his oil paintings. See https://suffolkartists.co.uk/index.cgi?choice=painter&pid=872

Winch Brothers advertisement in Mark Lane's Express Agricultural Journal, February 28, 1916, page 237.

"In 1911, John Winch had moved to 19 Wellesley Road, Colchester. There he continued to work as a professional painter in oil of landscapes, portraits, and animals and was an active member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1891-1930, exhibiting some thirty works 1891-1914 including in 1891 from St Botolph's House, Colchester, an oil 'Una Fiasca de Vino', in 1894 'The Hermit', in 1900 'Sleeping Michael, a Puppy' and 'Cat's Head', in 1914 he exhibited 'Old Roofs, Colchester' and he later moved to Woodland View, 101 Straight Road, Lexden, Colchester. He married at Colchester in 1921, Mary Jane Barton. John Miller Winch was of Woodland View, 101 Straight Road, Lexden, Colchester when he died at Crouch Street, Colchester on 15 October 1934, being survived by his widow."

The above citation is Courtesy of the Suffolk Artists Website which shows several of his oil paintings. See https://suffolkartists.co.uk/index.cgi?choice=painter&pid=872

On October 15, 1934, John Miller Winch (1857-1934) died and the Winch Brothers firm there ended.