Date of use : 1938 USA

Montgomery Ward to Kodak: Airmail Business Cover

This envelope represents a corporate commercial mail item sent within the United States and holds significant value for both postal history and the history of institutional communication.

The sender is identified on the front as Montgomery Ward – Advertising Department. Founded in 1872 in Chicago by Aaron Montgomery Ward (1844–1913), Montgomery Ward was among the first large-scale retailers to successfully implement the mail-order sales model in the United States. By distributing catalogs directly to rural consumers, the company helped shape modern retail practices and long-distance commercial communication.

The recipient is listed as Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, New York. Established by George Eastman (1854–1932), Kodak revolutionized photography by making cameras and photographic processes accessible to amateur users. Rochester served as the company's primary administrative and manufacturing center during this period.

The envelope bears a standard U.S. postal dispatch cancellation indicating the place and date of mailing. This marking functions as the primary chronological reference for the item and aligns stylistically with American postal practices of the early twentieth century.

Additionally, a "Kodak Mail Dept." receiving stamp is present, documenting the envelope's arrival within Kodak's internal mail system. Such markings were applied by corporate mailrooms rather than postal authorities and provide valuable insight into institutional mail-handling procedures. These are best described as internal corporate delivery stamps.

The presence of AIR MAIL and SPECIAL DELIVERY markings, along with their corresponding postage, confirms that the letter was sent using premium postal services. Air Mail ensured rapid long-distance transport, while Special Delivery guaranteed prioritized handling upon arrival—strong indicators of time-sensitive business correspondence.

Based on the postal markings and service combinations, the envelope can be confidently dated to the first half of the twentieth century, most likely within the 1930s–1940s period.

On the reverse, the printed return marking "Sales Division – Eastman Kodak Company" identifies the envelope as an official corporate stationery item. This feature reflects Kodak's structured internal communication system, where incoming and outgoing correspondence was managed by specific departments.

In conclusion, this envelope documents a professional business exchange between two major figures of American industrial history: the mail-order retail pioneer Montgomery Ward and the global leader in photographic technology, Eastman Kodak. Taken together, the postal markings, special services, internal receipt stamps, and corporate printing elevate this item beyond a routine cover, making it a rich and multilayered archival artifact relevant to postal, corporate, and industrial history.

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.

Date of use : 1903 Germany

Ed. O. Zechmann and the 1903 Reichspost Envelope: A Glimpse into the Early Photographic Industry

The material examined in this article is a commercial letter envelope directly related to the photographic industry, mailed on 11 February 1903 within the borders of the German Empire. The envelope was sent by Ed. O. Zechmann, a manufacturer and dealer of photographic supplies based in Königsberg i. Pr. (East Prussia), to the firm Optische Glasfabrik v. Avril, operating in the town of Zabern i. Els. (present-day Saverne) in the Alsace region. The document constitutes a primary source of significance for both postal history and the history of photographic technology.

The printed letterhead on the front of the envelope bears the inscription "Fabrik und Handlung für photographischen Bedarf," clearly indicating that the sender was engaged in both the production and commercial distribution of photographic materials. The sender's address is listed as Weissgerberstrasse 21, Königsberg i. Pr. The recipient's address is handwritten and reads "Herrn V. Avril, Opt. Glasfabrik, Zabern i/Els." The reverse side of the envelope is blank, showing no additional markings, seals, or annotations.

The postage affixed to the envelope is a 10 Pfennig stamp from the "Germania" definitive series, which was in circulation in the German Empire between 1900 and 1922. In 1903, this denomination precisely matched the standard domestic letter rate, demonstrating full compliance with contemporary postal tariffs. A circular date stamp applied to the stamp indicates the place of posting as Königsberg i. Pr., with the date clearly readable as 11.02.1903. The time marking "6–7 N" shows that the item was mailed in the afternoon. The absence of transit or arrival postmarks is consistent with normal German domestic postal practices of the period.

Postal transportation between Königsberg and Zabern would have been efficient and reliable, supported by the extensive railway network of the German Empire. It is highly probable that the letter traveled via Berlin and Strasbourg before reaching Alsace. The estimated delivery time can reasonably be assessed as between two and four days. The mailing occurred under normal peacetime conditions and reflects the standard operation of the Reichspost system.

The sending firm, Ed. O. Zechmann, as its name and designation suggest, specialized in the manufacture and trade of technical materials required for photography. These likely included glass negatives, photographic papers, chemical processing solutions, and various optical components. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Königsberg was one of the major commercial centers of East Prussia and an active hub for photography and postcard production. This context supports the assumption that the firm maintained a regional, and possibly national, distribution network.

The recipient, Optische Glasfabrik v. Avril, was an optical glass manufacturer operating in the Alsace region. Such enterprises played a crucial role in supplying glass elements for photographic lenses, projection systems, and early cinematographic technologies. Accordingly, this envelope documents an industrial relationship between photographic supply merchants and optical glass manufacturers. It should therefore be regarded not merely as a routine commercial letter, but as tangible evidence of the supply chains underpinning the photographic and optical industries in the early twentieth century.

From a postal history perspective, this envelope represents a clearly dated, tariff-correct, and well-preserved example of Reichspost commercial mail. From the standpoint of photographic history, it is notable for documenting a direct commercial exchange between a photographic materials firm and an optical glass factory. Furthermore, it provides concrete insight into the technical and commercial infrastructure of the early photographic industry. In conclusion, although outwardly modest, this commercial envelope sent by Ed. O. Zechmann in 1903 occupies a significant position at the intersection of postal history and the history of photographic technology.

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.

Date of use : 1946 Cuba

Boletín Fotográfico and American Photographic Publishing Co.

Boletín Fotográfico was one of the key early publications shaping photographic culture in Cuba. First issued as a monthly magazine in January 1882 in Havana, it is widely regarded as the first photography journal in Latin America. The publication was founded by J. A. López and E. A. Lecerf and printed at the Mercantil Press in Havana. Its content combined technical articles, commentary on photographic practice, and illustrated engravings, addressing both amateur and professional photographers. The original publishing run came to an end around 1888.

The name Boletín Fotográfico was not confined to the nineteenth century. In 1939, it was reused within the framework of the reorganized Club Fotográfico de Cuba (Cuban Photographic Club). Although these later publications did not represent a direct continuation of the original magazine, they clearly reflect an effort by Cuban photographic circles to reconnect with and legitimize themselves through an established historical tradition. The material produced during this period focused on club activities and contemporary photographic discourse. Beyond López and Lecerf, however, detailed information about editors associated with this later use of the title remains limited.

Also appearing on the envelope is the American Photographic Publishing Company, a major photography publisher active from the early twentieth century and based in Boston. The company was responsible for publishing influential periodicals such as American Annual of Photography and American Amateur Photographer, both of which played a central role in disseminating technical knowledge, aesthetic debates, and international trends in photography.

The company was founded and led for many years by Frank Roy Fraprie (1874–1951), an influential editor and publisher closely associated with the Boston Camera Club. Through the American Photographic Publishing Company, Fraprie oversaw the production of photographic books, annuals, and instructional publications, positioning the firm as a key node in Anglo-American photographic networks. Although the company's Boston address changed over time, it is documented at 428 Newbury Street during the 1930s, with publishing activities continuing without interruption after 1928.

Beyond periodicals, the American Photographic Publishing Company also issued catalogues and educational materials related to photographic equipment, chemicals, and practical techniques. In this respect, the firm addressed both the theoretical and applied dimensions of photographic practice.

The appearance of these two institutions on the same envelope highlights the intensity of professional and publishing connections between Cuba and the United States in the mid-twentieth century. More than a postal artifact, the envelope stands as documentary evidence of the transnational circulation of photographic knowledge, publications, and commercial relationships across the Atlantic.

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.