Date of use : 18 January 1930, Austria
Gebrüder Lorenz Photo-Union Postcard – Vienna
This document is a commercial postcard sent by Photo-Union Gebrüder Lorenz, a photographic supply business based in Vienna, Austria, to Georg Keilitz, a commercial firm located in Leipzig, Germany. The front of the card displays the printed letterhead of the company, including its name and business address at Franz Josef-Kai 47 in Vienna. The card also lists telephone numbers and business hours, indicating that it functioned not only as a postal item but also as a promotional communication tool presenting the firm's commercial identity. On the left side of the card appears an illustration of a large-format camera, which clearly associates the company with the trade of photographic equipment and photographic supplies.
Although the precise founding date of the company is not indicated on the card, the term "Gebrüder" in the company name means "brothers" in German and commonly refers to family-run partnerships. During the early twentieth century Vienna served as an important commercial center in Central Europe and maintained a vibrant market for photographic and optical equipment. Numerous photographic supply shops and distributors operated in the city, selling cameras, lenses, glass photographic plates, printing papers, and darkroom chemicals. Photo-Union Gebrüder Lorenz likely functioned as one of these suppliers within the broader photographic trade network.
The recipient of the postcard is identified as Georg Keilitz, whose address is given as Margaretenstrasse 8 in Leipzig. Leipzig was widely known during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as one of Germany's principal commercial and publishing centers. The city also maintained close connections with the photographic and printing industries. It is therefore plausible that Georg Keilitz was engaged in a business related to photographic chemicals, printing supplies, or technical equipment distribution.
The text on the reverse side of the card reveals the nature of the commercial communication between the two firms. The message lists several items requested for shipment by post. Among these items are "Farbenkasten-Ausstattungen," referring to sets of chemical or color preparation kits, as well as bottles of specific numbered substances. During this period photographic production and printing processes relied heavily on chemical materials used in developing and printing photographs. The content of the card therefore indicates a commercial transaction involving photographic chemicals and related technical supplies.
The card bears a date stamp reading 18 January 1930, placing the correspondence within a period when photography was widely practiced by both professional and amateur photographers throughout Europe. During the early twentieth century photographic equipment became increasingly portable, and photographic processes became more accessible to a broader user base. This expansion created a strong demand for photographic supplies and chemicals, which were distributed through networks of specialized commercial firms.
From a philatelic perspective, the card carries an Austrian postage stamp and a postal cancellation from Vienna, confirming that the item entered the postal system there. The printed commercial postcard format was commonly used by businesses for efficient and economical correspondence. Such cards also functioned as advertising materials, presenting company information and product associations.
From a collecting perspective, the document may be placed within several thematic categories. It represents an example of commercial ephemera connected with the photographic industry. It may also be of interest to collectors studying the trade networks of photographic materials in Central Europe. Additionally, philatelists specializing in Austrian postal history and commercial correspondence cards may find such material noteworthy. The combination of commercial communication and visual design elements makes the card a valuable archival artifact illustrating the everyday operations of the photographic supply trade.
In conclusion, this commercial postcard represents more than a simple order request between two companies. It reflects the broader commercial structure of the photographic supply industry in early twentieth-century Europe. Photographic production depended not only on cameras but also on an extensive network of chemical products and technical equipment. This document therefore provides insight into the international trade connections that supported the photographic industry during this period.
📜✍️
REVERSE SIDE - TYPEWRITTEN MESSAGE (TRANSCRIPTION & TRANSLATION)
German → English
📝 Original German text (typewritten):
"Firma: Georg Teilitz, Leipzig, C1, Margaretenstr. 8
Wollen Sie zur Lieferung per Post an uns vormerken:
6 Farbenkasten-Ausstattungen I
3 ' ' ' II
je 12 Flaschen Nr. 1, 4, 6, 7, 16
6 ' ' 2
Wir empfehlen uns
Wien I., Kai 47
18. Jan. 1930
Hochachtungsvoll
PHOTO-UNION
Gebrüder Lorenz"
Wollen Sie zur Lieferung per Post an uns vormerken:
6 Farbenkasten-Ausstattungen I
3 ' ' ' II
je 12 Flaschen Nr. 1, 4, 6, 7, 16
6 ' ' 2
Wir empfehlen uns
Wien I., Kai 47
18. Jan. 1930
Hochachtungsvoll
PHOTO-UNION
Gebrüder Lorenz"
📖 English translation:
"Firm: Georg Teilitz, Leipzig, C1, Margaretenstr. 8
Please note the following order for delivery by post:
6 color box sets (Type I)
3 color box sets (Type II)
Also:
12 bottles each: No. 1, 4, 6, 7, 16
6 bottles: No. 2
Yours faithfully,
PHOTO-UNION
Gebrüder Lorenz"
🧪 Context: This commercial postcard documents a wholesale order for photographic chemicals and supplies from Photo-Union Gebrüder Lorenz in Vienna to Georg Teilitz in Leipzig. The order includes 9 color box sets (Types I and II) and substantial quantities of numbered chemical bottles (No. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 16).
Record Information
Title: Gebrüder Lorenz Photo-Union Postcard – Vienna
Category: Photographic Industry History / Commercial Correspondence
Subcategory: Central European Trade Networks / Chemical Supplies
Country: Austria (Sender: Vienna) → Germany (Recipient: Leipzig)
🗺️ Show Route
City: Vienna (Sender: Photo-Union Gebrüder Lorenz) → Leipzig (Recipient: Georg Teilitz)
Date of use: 18 January 1930
Company (Sender): Photo-Union Gebrüder Lorenz, Franz Josef-Kai 47, Vienna, Austria. A family-run photographic supply business operating in Vienna, selling cameras, lenses, glass plates, printing papers, and darkroom chemicals.
Company (Recipient): Georg Teilitz, Margaretenstrasse 8, Leipzig, Germany. A commercial firm likely involved in photographic chemicals, printing supplies, or technical equipment distribution.
Object Type: International commercial postcard with printed letterhead and camera illustration
Postal Route 🚂📮 (Estimated Route): Vienna, Austria → Leipzig, Germany (18 January 1930)
Estimated Travel Time: Approximately 2-3 days (railway via Linz, Passau, Nuremberg)
Postal Features: Austrian postage stamp; Vienna postal cancellation (18 January 1930).
Language: German
Material: Paper postcard
Dimensions: Standard postcard format
Notable Feature: Illustration of a large-format camera; wholesale order for chemical supplies (6 Type I and 3 Type II color box sets; 12 bottles each No. 1,4,6,7,16; 6 bottles No. 2).
Collection Theme: Photo-Union Gebrüder Lorenz, Vienna photography, Austrian photographic trade, Leipzig commerce, Central European trade, photographic chemicals, chemical supplies, Gebrüder Lorenz, commercial postcards.
Archival Significance: This 1930 commercial postcard documents the cross-border trade of photographic chemicals between Vienna and Leipzig, illustrating the international distribution networks that supported the European photographic industry.
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.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.
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