Date of use : c.1930s-1940s, Austria

Photo Langer: Austrian Photo Supplies Company

This envelope represents a postal item sent from Austria to France and addressed to a business associated with photographic trade. The recipient is clearly identified as "Photo Langer." The address also includes the name G. van Tassenhove and the street "Avenue de l'Étique." The destination city is Beaune, located in the Burgundy region of France, with the department specified as Côte d'Or.

The envelope bears an Austrian postage stamp with a denomination of sixty groschen. The design features a traditionally dressed couple, a motif commonly used in Austrian postage stamps during the mid-twentieth century. The inscription "Österreich" identifies the issuing country using its German name.

The postal cancellation indicates that the item was mailed from Innsbruck. Innsbruck, located in the Austrian region of Tyrol, has historically served as an important commercial center along Alpine trade routes. The style of the stamp and postal markings suggests a date within the mid-twentieth century, a period during which photography had become widely accessible throughout Europe.

The name "Photo Langer" most likely refers to a photographic shop or business dealing in photographic equipment and supplies. Throughout the twentieth century such photographic retailers were common in European cities. These shops typically sold cameras, photographic film, chemicals for developing and printing, as well as various accessories used by both amateur and professional photographers.

The combination of French and German elements in the address reflects the multilingual nature of commercial communication within Europe. Postal correspondence between photographic retailers, distributors, and suppliers played an important role in maintaining the photographic trade network during this period.

From a philatelic perspective the envelope represents a typical example of international commercial mail. Its particular interest lies in the fact that it was directed to a photographic business. Such documents provide valuable evidence for understanding the distribution networks and communication practices within the photographic industry.

In conclusion, this envelope represents more than a routine postal item. It offers a small historical trace of the everyday operations of photographic commerce in Europe. Sent from Austria to France, the letter illustrates how photographic equipment and supplies were exchanged and coordinated through international correspondence.

Record Information

Title: Photo Langer: Austrian Photo Supplies Company

Category: Photographic Industry History / Commercial Correspondence

Subcategory: International Trade / European Retail Networks

Country: Austria (Sender) → France (Recipient)

City: Innsbruck (Sender) → Beaune (Recipient)

Date of use: c.1930s-1940s

Company (Sender): Photo Langer (sender information not fully legible; likely a photographic retailer or supplier based in Innsbruck).

Company (Recipient): Photo Langer / G. van Tassenhove, Avenue de l'Étique, Beaune, Côte d'Or, France. A photographic business operating in Burgundy.

Object Type: International commercial envelope

Postal Features: Austrian 60-groschen stamp featuring traditionally dressed couple; Innsbruck postal cancellation.

Language: French (recipient address)

Material: Paper envelope

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Collection Theme: Photo Langer, Innsbruck photography, Austrian photographic trade, Beaune photography, European retail networks, international postal correspondence, Austrian stamps, 1930s photography, 1940s photography, Burgundy photographic trade.

Archival Significance: This envelope documents cross-border commercial correspondence between photographic retailers in Austria and France, illustrating the international trade networks that supported the European photographic industry during the mid-twentieth century.

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.
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