I recently bought this old postcard (series no 5396), entitled ‘On the Medway’, showing the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul in Upper Stoke. It was produced by Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co. Ltd, of London and Manchester, although it says it was produced in Bavaria.
With a strong family connection to Upper Stoke, this postcard is one of my favourite images of the area. I can't identify the name of who painted the picture or when that was, but is shows three small children walking through the churchyard with a dog running behind, boats on the River Medway, birds flying overhead and a traditional house behind the church.
Siegmund Hildesheimer & Co. Ltd were active between 1830 and 1920 and originally published books, but later moved on to producing Christmas cards, advertising cards, comics, art reproductions and real photo portraits.
