Date of use : 30 June 1875, USA

Reid & Moulton Photographic Supply Postcard

This document is an early United States postal card bearing the printed letterhead of Reid & Moulton, a commercial firm operating in Cleveland, Ohio. The heading on the reverse side identifies the company as the successors to A. S. Robbins and describes the business as wholesale dealers in photographic materials, photographic apparatus, frames, mouldings, chromolithographs, and engravings. Two business addresses are listed at Superior Street and Seneca Street in Cleveland. The handwritten date on the card indicates June 30, 1875.

The activities of Reid & Moulton reflect the commercial infrastructure of the rapidly expanding photographic industry in the second half of the nineteenth century. After the public introduction of photography in 1839 with the daguerreotype process, numerous photographic techniques—including wet plate negatives and albumen prints—became widely adopted. This expansion led not only to the growth of photographic studios but also to the emergence of commercial suppliers specializing in photographic equipment and materials. Firms such as Reid & Moulton likely functioned as regional distributors providing photographers with chemicals, photographic plates, printing papers, and related apparatus.

During this period Cleveland emerged as a significant industrial and commercial center within the United States. Located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, the city developed extensive connections through rail and water transportation networks linking the eastern and midwestern regions of the country. These logistical advantages supported the development of commercial businesses distributing photographic equipment and other technical goods. Companies like Reid & Moulton probably served as wholesalers supplying photographic studios and retail dealers throughout the surrounding region.

The card itself represents an official United States postal card, a communication format introduced during the early 1870s. Postal cards offered a quick and economical method for sending short messages without the need for an envelope. The Cleveland postal cancellation indicates that the message may have been transmitted locally within the same city. Such cards were frequently used for brief business communications, appointment requests, or confirmations.

The handwritten message on the reverse side suggests that the sender was requesting a meeting or conversation regarding a particular address. The tone of the message resembles a brief business inquiry rather than a detailed commercial transaction. This usage illustrates how postal cards became a practical tool for everyday communication in commercial contexts.

From a collecting perspective, this card may be classified within several thematic categories. It represents an early example of commercial correspondence related to the photographic supply trade. At the same time it belongs to the early history of United States postal cards introduced during the 1870s. The printed letterhead demonstrates that the nineteenth-century photographic industry relied not only on studios and photographers but also on a broader commercial supply network.

In conclusion, this postal card provides a valuable historical example of the commercial distribution structure supporting photography in the late nineteenth century. Firms such as Reid & Moulton formed an essential part of the supply chain that allowed photographic technology to spread among professional users. Documents of this kind illustrate that the history of photography is shaped not only by technical innovation but also by the economic and commercial networks that supported its development.

Record Information

Title: Reid & Moulton Photographic Supply Postcard

Category: Photographic Industry History / Wholesale Trade

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / 19th-Century Ephemera

Country: USA

City: Cleveland, Ohio

Date of use: 30 June 1875

Company (Sender): Reid & Moulton, successors to A. S. Robbins, Superior Street and Seneca Street, Cleveland, Ohio. Wholesale dealers in photographic materials, apparatus, frames, mouldings, chromolithographs, and engravings.

Object Type: U.S. postal card (official postal stationery)

Postal Features: Pre-printed U.S. postal card (introduced early 1870s); Cleveland, Ohio cancellation (30 June 1875).

Content: Handwritten message requesting a meeting or conversation, typical of brief business correspondence.

Language: English

Material: Card stock

Dimensions: Standard postal card format

Collection Theme: Reid & Moulton, Cleveland commerce, 19th-century photographic trade, wholesale distribution, U.S. postal cards, business ephemera, photographic apparatus, chromolithographs.

Archival Significance: This 1875 postal card documents a Cleveland photographic wholesaler, illustrating the commercial supply networks that supported the expanding photographic industry in the late 19th-century United States.

Research Note:

This article is based on historical research and independent analysis of the material in the author's collection. The text has been prepared as an original interpretative study and does not reproduce copyrighted material.

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.