Date of use : 27 May 1930, Italy

Martin & Michieli Postcard – Italian Camera Dealer

This document is a commercial correspondence card sent by the company Martin & Michieli, based in Venice, Italy, to Holzwarenfabrik Krauss, a firm located in Schwabmünchen in the Bavarian region of Germany. The front of the card contains the printed letterhead of the company, including the phrases "Photographie et Optique" and "Mécanicien de précision." These descriptions indicate that the firm operated in the fields of photographic equipment, optical products, and precision mechanical instruments. The address printed on the card refers to the San Marco district of Venice, historically one of the city's principal commercial centers.

The company name suggests that Martin & Michieli was a partnership between two proprietors. From the late nineteenth century onward, many European cities saw the emergence of small and medium-sized firms engaged in the trade of photographic and optical equipment. Cameras, lenses, photographic plates, and mechanical accessories formed a significant portion of the commercial activities of such businesses. During a period characterized by rapid technological development in photography and optics, these enterprises served as important distribution points supplying equipment to both professional photographers and amateur users.

The recipient of the card, Holzwarenfabrik Krauss, appears to have been a manufacturer of wooden products. The German term "Holzwarenfabrik" refers to a factory producing goods made from wood. Schwabmünchen, located in Bavaria, was known during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries for small industrial enterprises. It is therefore likely that the Krauss company specialized in the production of wooden components or technical items. Wood played a significant role in the construction of early photographic equipment, including camera bodies, tripods, and certain mechanical accessories. In this context, the commercial relationship between Martin & Michieli and the Krauss factory may have been connected to the supply or manufacture of wooden components used in photographic equipment.

The text on the reverse side of the card provides insight into the nature of the commercial communication between the two firms. The sender requests wooden copying clamps with pointed tips and suggests that instead of sending a small sample package, the recipient should prepare a postal parcel weighing five kilograms. The message further indicates that the shipment should be sent with an export permit and forwarded via an intermediary located in Chiasso, Switzerland, who would handle customs procedures. This detail illustrates how cross-border commercial networks in Europe relied on intermediary logistics and customs arrangements.

The postal features of the card are also noteworthy. An Italian postage stamp is affixed to the card and cancelled with a postal mark from Venice. The cancellation includes a date indicating the eighth day of April. Such postal markings served as official indicators of the place and time at which the correspondence entered the postal system. The use of a printed commercial card format reflects the widespread practice among businesses of using standardized correspondence cards for efficient and economical communication.

This document therefore represents a small but significant example of the industrial and commercial networks that developed in Europe during the early twentieth century. The expansion of photographic technology stimulated the growth of related industries producing optical instruments, mechanical devices, and specialized components. As a result, a dense network of suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors emerged across national borders. The commercial exchange between a photographic equipment dealer in Venice and a wooden goods manufacturer in Bavaria reflects the interconnected nature of this production and supply system.

From a collecting perspective, the card may be classified within several thematic categories. It represents an example of commercial ephemera related to the photographic and optical industries. It also holds relevance for collections focused on European trade history and industrial networks. Additionally, it may be of interest to philatelists specializing in Italian postal history and commercial correspondence cards.

In conclusion, this commercial card represents more than a simple business message between two firms. It provides insight into the interconnected production networks that supported the development of photographic and optical technology in Europe. The manufacturing, distribution, and supply of photographic equipment depended on a wide range of specialized industries operating across national boundaries. This document therefore stands as a valuable archival artifact illustrating how these economic networks functioned through everyday commercial communication.

📜✍️ REVERSE SIDE - HANDWRITTEN MESSAGE (TRANSCRIPTION & TRANSLATION) German → English

📝 Original German text (handwritten):

"Verehrl. Firma,

Wir hatten Sie doch dringend gebeten uns Holzkopierklammern mit spitzem Schnabel zu senden.
Wenn Sie kein Musterpakete senden wollen, so machen Sie eine Ausfuhrerlaubnis für ein Postpaket 5 Kilo brutto und senden uns ein Postpacket voll.

Expedition an Seb. Boser in Chiasso (Schweiz) transito für uns zur Weiterbeförderung. Boser weiss Bescheid und macht alle Verzollungen für uns.
Zahlung erfolgt sofort per Check. In der Ausfuhrbewilligung haben Sie das netto und Bruttogewicht anzugeben und zu erklären dass Sie uns keine billigeren Preise als die vom Jahre 1914 gemacht haben.

Gerne von Ihnen hörend zeichnen hochachtungsvoll
Venezia, 27.5.30
Martin & Michieli"

📖 English translation:

"Dear Sir,

We had urgently requested you to send us wooden copying clamps with pointed tips.

If you do not wish to send sample packages, please prepare an export permit for a postal parcel of 5 kg gross weight and send us a full package.

Ship the goods to Seb. Boser in Chiasso (Switzerland) in transit for further forwarding to us. Boser is informed and will handle all customs procedures on our behalf.

Payment will be made immediately by cheque. In the export permit, you must indicate net and gross weight and declare that you have not offered us prices lower than those of the year 1914.

Awaiting your reply, yours faithfully,

Venice, 27 May 1930

Martin & Michieli"

🪵 Context: This commercial postcard documents a cross-border trade request for wooden copying clamps. The mention of "prices no lower than 1914" reflects post-WWI economic regulations. The shipment via Chiasso, Switzerland, highlights the use of intermediaries for customs clearance in European trade.

Record Information

Title: Martin & Michieli Postcard – Italian Camera Dealer

Category: Photographic Industry History / International Trade

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / European Industrial Networks

Country: Italy (Sender: Venice) → Germany (Recipient: Schwabmünchen) 🗺️ Show Route

City: Venice (Sender: Martin & Michieli) → Schwabmünchen, Bavaria (Recipient: Holzwarenfabrik Krauss)

Date of use: 27 May 1930

Company (Sender): Martin & Michieli, San Marco district, Venice, Italy. A photographic and optical equipment dealer and precision mechanical instrument firm, operating in Venice during the early twentieth century.

Company (Recipient): Holzwarenfabrik Krauss, Schwabmünchen, Bavaria, Germany. A wooden goods manufacturer, likely producing wooden components for technical equipment including photographic accessories.

Object Type: International commercial correspondence postcard

Trade Route 🚢🚂📮 (Estimated Route): Venice, Italy → Chiasso, Switzerland (customs) → Schwabmünchen, Germany (27 May 1930)

Estimated Travel Time: Approximately 3-5 days (maritime/railway via Milan, Chiasso, Zurich, Munich)

Postal Features: Italian postage stamp; Venice postal cancellation (27 May 1930).

Language: French (letterhead), German (message)

Material: Paper postcard

Dimensions: Standard postcard format

Notable Feature: Request for wooden copying clamps; export via Chiasso, Switzerland; price declaration referencing 1914 levels (post-WWI economic regulation).

Collection Theme: Martin & Michieli, Venice photography, Italian photographic trade, Holzwarenfabrik Krauss, Schwabmünchen, Bavarian industry, wooden camera components, cross-border commerce, export logistics, Italian postal history.

Archival Significance: This 1930 commercial postcard documents the supply chain connecting an Italian photographic equipment dealer with a German wooden goods manufacturer, illustrating the specialized industrial networks supporting the photographic industry in post-World War I Europe.

🚢🚂📮 Trade Route: Venice → Chiasso → Schwabmünchen (27 May 1930) (Estimated Route)

📦 Martin & Michieli (Venice) 🇮🇹 → 🚢/🚂 Railway → 🇨🇭 Chiasso (Customs - Seb. Boser) → 🇩🇪 Schwabmünchen (Holzwarenfabrik Krauss) 🇩🇪

📮 Wooden copying clamps order → 🚢 Maritime / 🚂 Transalpine railway → 🇨🇭 Swiss customs intermediary → 📬 Bavarian wooden goods manufacturer
5 kg parcel | Export permit | 1914 price declaration | Payment by cheque | Estimated travel time: 3-5 days

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) – https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright

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.