The Strobridge Lithographing Company

American, 1867 – 1960

BiographyWhile the Strobridge Lithographing Company was incorporated in 1867, the company traced its origins to 1847 with the establishment of an engraving firm by Elijah J. Middleton in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1854, Hines Strobridge, a local bookseller, joined the firm as a partner. After the Civil War, Strobridge bought out the other partners and named the company after himself. Beginning in the 1880s as the Strobridge firm specialized in poster printing it established offices in New York and London with a representative in Sydney. In 1887 a disastrous fire destroyed the company’s factory, but Strobridge immediately rebuilt and increased its national and international presence. As an 1896 advertisement clearly stated, “You see Strobridge posters all Over the World.”

The last circus poster printed by the Strobridge firm was in 1954 for the Ringling show. In 1960, the Strobridge Company was purchased by the H.S. Crocker Company of San Bruno, California. Even today after more than a century, the circus posters designed and printed by The Strobridge Lithographing Company continue to resonate because of their artistry and lively design.

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