Date of use : 30 June 1960, Portugal

Business Postcard from Garcia & Simão, Photographic Equipment Dealer

This document is a commercial letter dated 30 June 1960 sent by the firm Garcia & Simão, located in Miranda do Douro, Portugal, to the company J. Alves de Azevedo & Cª. Lda. in Estoril. The letterhead reveals that the sender operated as a wholesale trading house dealing in a wide range of goods including groceries, beverages, construction materials, electrical products, textiles and photographic supplies.

The presence of the phrase "Artigos Fotográficos Kodak" indicates that the firm was involved in the distribution or retail sale of Kodak photographic materials. During the mid-twentieth century Kodak products dominated the global market for photographic film and printing materials. In many smaller towns photographic equipment was not sold exclusively by specialized camera shops but also by general trading companies that supplied a variety of imported goods.

Garcia & Simão appears to have been one of these regional commercial distributors. The structure of the company name suggests a partnership between individuals bearing the surnames Garcia and Simão. Such partnerships were common in Portuguese commercial practice, particularly in provincial trading houses that served as intermediaries between larger urban suppliers and rural markets.

The company operated from Miranda do Douro, a town located near the Spanish border in northeastern Portugal. Historically the region functioned as a trading point linking local agricultural economies with wider commercial networks. Businesses in such locations often handled multiple categories of goods and maintained connections with financial institutions and larger commercial centers.

The letterhead lists several banking references, including Banco de Portugal, Borges & Irmão, Espírito Santo, and Banco Comercial de Lisboa. References to major banks were frequently printed on business stationery as a sign of financial credibility and commercial reliability.

The recipient company, J. Alves de Azevedo & Companhia Limitada, was located in Estoril, a coastal town near Lisbon that experienced significant commercial and tourism growth during the twentieth century. The wording of the letter indicates that the sender is responding to a memorandum received from the recipient, explaining that the requested clay figures are not currently available but may become available again in the future. This suggests an ongoing commercial relationship between the two firms.

From a postal perspective, the envelope bears a 50 centavos Portuguese postage stamp depicting a mounted knight motif, a design associated with Portuguese national symbolism. The cancellation mark identifies Miranda do Douro as the mailing location and corresponds to the same date written in the letter, 30 June 1960.

Within the broader historical context, the document reflects the commercial distribution networks that supported the spread of consumer goods, including photographic materials, throughout provincial regions. Companies such as Garcia & Simão served as intermediaries connecting international manufacturers, national distributors, and local retailers.

From a collecting perspective, this item may be classified within several thematic areas including commercial correspondence, Portuguese postal history, and the global distribution of Kodak photographic products. The printed letterhead and reference to photographic goods provide a valuable insight into how photographic technology reached smaller regional markets during the mid-twentieth century.

The text of the letter is as follows:

Miranda do Douro, 30 June 1960

Gentlemen,

In response to your memorandum of the 24th instant, we regret to inform you that we do not currently have the requested items in stock. The clay figures you mentioned are not available at this time. Should they become available again in the future, we will let you know.

We remain at your service for any other orders you may wish to place.

Yours faithfully,
Garcia & Simão

Record Information

Title: Business Postcard from Garcia & Simão, Photographic Equipment Dealer

Category: Photographic Industry History / Regional Trade

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / Distribution Networks

Country: Portugal (Sender) → Portugal (Recipient)

City: Miranda do Douro (Sender) → Estoril (Recipient)

Date of use: 30 June 1960

Company (Sender): Garcia & Simão, Rua da Costanilha, Miranda do Douro, Portugal. A wholesale trading house dealing in groceries, beverages, construction materials, electrical products, textiles, and photographic supplies ("Artigos Fotográficos Kodak").

Company (Recipient): J. Alves de Azevedo & Cª. Lda., Av. do Parque, 27, Estoril, Portugal.

Object Type: Domestic commercial postcard with handwritten response

Postal Features: 50 centavos Portuguese stamp (mounted knight motif); Miranda do Douro postal cancellation (30.VI.60).

Language: Portuguese

Material: Card stock

Dimensions: Standard postcard format

Collection Theme: Garcia & Simão, Miranda do Douro, Portuguese photographic trade, Kodak distribution, wholesale commerce, Estoril, regional distribution networks, 1960s Portugal, banking references.

Archival Significance: This 1960 commercial postcard documents the role of regional Portuguese trading houses in distributing Kodak photographic materials, illustrating how photographic technology reached provincial markets through diversified wholesale networks.

Research Note:

This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.