Ford’s Blotting Paper

The eight colours from Series 3: BC3 320

Samples of blotting paper produced by T. B. Ford Ltd of High Wycombe were included in 22 editions of 2s, 2s6d, and 3s booklets from December 1934 until February 1941.

The first mention of Ford’s blotting paper in the Post Office archives is in a letter of 22 August 1934 stating that Sells advertising agency had received a proposal from Ford to include a piece of blotting paper in certain booklet editions. In October 1934 the Post Office decided to accept the proposal for one edition only (half a million booklets), which would be regarded as experimental. The booklet issued was the 3s BB26 288 which went to press on 12th November and was dated December 1934.

Type A

Advert on the front, no printing on the back:

Series 3: BB26 288 (Block Cypher)
Colours: undocumented.

Known colours of Type A are shown below with names as used by Ford, there are likely more.

The results noted of this experiment were breakage of wrapper bands, and the varying colours of blotting paper caused a difficulty in examination, especially with the orange colour, which was near the colour of the covers. These problems were solved by using stronger wrapper bands, by requiring thinner blotting paper (60lbs weight instead of 80lbs), and by requiring white blotting paper instead of mixed colours.

Type B

In January 1935 Ford proposed a second blotting paper advert adhering to the requirements above, using 60lbs weight blotting paper in white only. It was proposed for both the 2s and 3s Silver Jubilee booklets. However, the 3s booklet would have been too thick for the sewing machines, so the blotter was only included in the 2s BB16 edition 300 of May 1935.

Larger Silver Jubilee sized advert.
The weight of paper (60lbs) was added to the front, advert on the back:

Series 4: BB16 300 (Silver Jubilee)
Colours: White

Type C

In September 1935 Ford proposed a third blotting paper advert in an edition of 3s booklets. The paper was to be 60lbs weight and golden yellow in colour. No mention is made of the earlier requirement of while only.

Advert on the front and back:

Series 3: BB29 304 (Photogravure)
Colours: Golden Yellow

Type D

In August 1936 Ford proposed a fourth blotting paper advert in an edition of 3s booklets. The paper was to be 60lbs weight and in a variety of colours. Harrison responded that the experience gained in the previous few issues enabled them to bind the coloured paper without serious inconvenience, and eight colours were issued in BC3 320.

The name of the colour added to the front, back advert changed:

Series 3: BC3 320
Colours: undocumented.

Known colours of Type D are shown below. It is believed there are only eight colours, with Apple Green and Golden Yellow more common, Scarlet and Deep Green scarce.

Type E

From November 1937 onwards Ford proposed 18 more adverts, the last proposal being in December 1940 which was issued in BD15 30 of February 1941. For these adverts, the front was redesigned, and the number of colours was increased from 22 to 23. This was the number of colours Ford had available, and not necessarily the number of colours used in the booklets. The number of colours used in these editions is undocumented, but may be less than 23.

Front advert new design “in 23 colours”, back advert as Type C:

Series 3: BD21 343; BD22 347
Series 4: BD11 404
Colours: undocumented, see Type F below.

Type F

Part way through booklet BD22 347 a change was made to the wording on the back of the blotting paper. Thus edition 347 has either Type E or Type F adverts.

Front advert as previous, back wording changed:

Series 3: BD22 347, 360, 366
Series 4: BD12 433, 454, 468, 476, 496, 498
Series 7: BD14 12; BD15 14, 16, 17, 23, 26, 30
Colours: undocumented.

Known colours of Types E and F are shown below with names as used by Ford, there are likely more.

Ford’s Colours

The number of colours Ford included in each edition is unclear as there is little detail in the Post Office archives, only Orange is mentioned as a problem amongst various colours in Type A, the single colour White in Type B, and the single colour Golden Yellow in Type C. The latter is confirmed by booklets seen, and disproves the previous description of “Type C – 22 colours thought possible”.

Ford’s advertising material for the period gives some additional information. Sometimes Ford referred to “22 Colours and White” other times just “23 Colours” with white listed as one of the colours. This would explain 22 versus 23 printed on the blotters as not a change in the colours used, but Ford unsure if white counts as a colour.

A Christmas advert dated December 1938 lists “23 Lovely Shades” (including white) and the colours listed match those found in booklets, and are exactly those in the book of samples shown below. The book of samples includes three colours which have not yet been found in stamp booklets: Purple, Brick Red, and Brown.

The post-war book of samples shown below (with the white cover sheet torn off) replaces four colours (Cadet Blue, Mauve, Purple, Brick Red) with five colours (Wedgwood Blue, Primrose, Bucks Lilac, Violet, Cerise) for a total of 23 colours and White. These later five colours were not used in stamp booklets.