Bradshaw was the director of Crown Sweets Co. in 1908 according to the Trow corporate directory (
https://www.google.com/books/edition...J?hl=en&gbpv=0). He seems to be career candy man.
The 1919 edition of Trows has two listings for Robertson Candy Co., one dissolved. Not clear on what that means exactly
https://www.google.com/books/edition...sec=frontcover
They were apparently so small time that even when placing paid ads, their name was sometimes got wrong. The Spatula calls them the “Robinson Candy Company”, contrary to the sign off even, at the end of 1918 (
https://www.google.com/books/edition...sec=frontcover, 154)
Bradshaw was apparently the candy man running the business. Robertson presumably provided the capital.
By June of 1923 they have moved to 31 Jay St, advertising that their fruit tables “prevents the taking in of much dust” when driving cars. (
https://www.google.com/books/edition...sec=frontcover, 322). They were at the 286 Greenwich Street address into 1919 at least.
Bradshaw has some popping corn patents, and seems to be doing other things by November of 1921, when advertisements for his own companies popcorn run adjacent to Robertson advertisements in the Confectioners Journal (
https://www.google.com/books/edition...sec=frontcover - November, 2). He might still be working with Robertson to. For baseball collectors, one page above the Robertson and Bradshaw ads, is one for the Croft & Allen Co. showing a drawing of their buildings in Philadelphia (November, 1).
They seem to fade from visibility after 1923 or so.
I found in Canada a Robertson Bros. Ltd. firm in the confectionary candy space, from the 19th century into the 1920’s at least in the Toronto area. They always seem to go by Robertson Bros. or Robertson Brothers, never once “Robertson Candy Co.” or something close to that beyond also having a “Robertson” own it. This firm was a larger operation and its founding brother wealthy Scottish immigrants. There are numerous advertisements, columns, press reports, journal articles and biographical entries of its founders easily found. I think this is not our company either, like the later Robertson Candy Co. in Canada that existed in Burdick’s day but not when the cards were issued, and has the wrong name. It is another possible explanation for how the Canadian origin was placed onto the cards though, as it is similar sounding.
Still cannot find a "Robertson Candy Co." or "Robertson Candy" in Canada during the period the cards are apparently from.