RARE 1905 "ORIGINAL ALL BLACKS" RUGBY POSTCARD SENIOR & CO. BRISTOL EDITION

This historical photograph shows a vintage souvenir postcard of "The Original All Blacks", the legendary 1905 New Zealand national rugby union team. This specific squad toured the British Isles, France, and North America, cementing the team's iconic name and establishing the silver fern tradition. 

The 1905 tour is widely recognized as one of the most famous and dominant in sports history. Out of 35 matches played, the team won 34 and lost only a single, controversial game to Wales. Over the course of the tour, they amassed a staggering 976 points while conceding only 59.

The card lists the physical names of the squad printed directly along the bottom margin. Based on historical team records and the printed caption text, the specific subgroup featured on this postcard includes:

Top Row (Standing): Bill Cunningham, Massa Johnston, George Nicholson, Fred Roberts, John Corbett.

Middle Row (Seated): Jimmy Hunter, Hector Thomson, Charlie Seeling,  Dave Gallaher (Capt.), Billy Stead (Vice Capt.) Frank Glasgow.

Bottom Row (Ground): Ernest Booth, , George Smith, Billy Wallace, Steve Casey.

This card was published by Senior & Co., of Bristol and is considered much scarcer today than the mass-produced London or Edinburgh variants, making them highly prized pieces of rugby memorabilia at sports auctions. This card was produced to commemorate the All Blacks' historic tour matches in the West Country region of Englandmost notably their dominant 41-0 victory over Bristol at the Memorial Ground on October 14, 1905, and their 230 win over nearby Somerset. Because this card is from a smaller regional location (Bristol) it is scarcer than the more mass produced cards from the bigger centres.