Date of use : 1938, Yugoslavia

Agfa-Foto Yugoslavia Parcel Dispatch Form

This document represents an official parcel card prepared for an international shipment sent from Germany to Yugoslavia. The printed heading and administrative markings indicate that the parcel was dispatched from the J.G. Farbenindustrie Camera Works located in Munich. The presence of both German and French terminology on the form reflects the standardized multilingual documentation used in international postal services during the early twentieth century. Parcel cards of this type were created to record essential information about shipments, including weight, packaging, customs declarations, and delivery procedures.

The sender identified on the document, J.G. Farbenindustrie Camera Works, was associated with one of the most significant industrial organizations in the European chemical and photographic industries during the first half of the twentieth century. J.G. Farbenindustrie was established in 1925 through the merger of several major German chemical companies, forming a large industrial consortium. Within this structure the production of photographic chemicals, film materials, and related industrial components for the photographic sector played an important role. From the perspective of photographic history the company contributed to the development and distribution of photographic materials used in both professional and commercial photography.

The recipient listed on the document is a company identified as Agfa Foto located in Zagreb. This information illustrates the distribution network through which photographic materials circulated across Europe. The Agfa brand emerged in Germany during the late nineteenth century and became widely known for the production of photographic chemicals and film materials. During the first half of the twentieth century Agfa products were distributed throughout many European markets. The Zagreb recipient was most likely a regional distributor or commercial retailer responsible for supplying photographic equipment and materials within the local market.

The information recorded on the parcel card indicates that the shipment weighed approximately one kilogram and three hundred grams. The structure and layout of the document confirm that the parcel traveled through the international postal system. Postal cancellation marks from Munich and Zagreb provide further evidence of the route taken by the shipment. In addition, the customs and inspection sections printed on the form reflect the administrative procedures typically applied to international parcels during this period.

The reverse side of the document includes postage stamps and postal markings applied by the Yugoslav postal administration. The stamps display visual elements associated with state symbols of Yugoslavia during the interwar period. Such stamps were frequently used to indicate parcel handling fees, customs processing, or additional postal charges required during delivery. The cancellation marks further confirm that the parcel passed through official postal processing stages before reaching its destination.

From the perspective of postal history this document represents a valuable example of the international commercial postal system operating in Europe during the early twentieth century. At that time photographic equipment and materials circulated extensively between countries as part of a growing international market. Camera manufacturers, film producers, and photographic suppliers relied heavily on postal and railway transport networks for the distribution of their products.

From a philatelic viewpoint parcel cards such as this are typically categorized within postal history collections dealing with international parcel documentation. At the same time they also hold significance for collectors interested in the history of photography, since they document the commercial networks through which photographic technology was distributed. Postal documents connected to photographic companies therefore function as valuable pieces of industrial and communication 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.