Date of use : 1946, Belgium

Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V.: Mortsel Manufacturer to Alfred Stevens, St. Niklaas-Waas

The Belgian company Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V., based in the Antwerp region, was one of Europe's important manufacturers of photographic films and light-sensitive materials. The commercial card examined here represents business correspondence sent from the firm's headquarters in Mortsel near Antwerp. The printed heading indicates that the company operated as a large incorporated enterprise with substantial capital and industrial production capacity. The factories established in Mortsel became well known for manufacturing photographic film and motion picture film materials.

The recipient of the correspondence is Nieuwe Fabrieken Alfred Stevens N.V., an industrial company located in St. Niklaas-Waas. Firms of this type were often involved in the processing or manufacturing of chemical and plastic-based industrial materials. The content of the letter responds to an inquiry concerning the supply of celluloid, a material historically used as a base for photographic and motion picture film.

The text explains that the sale of celluloid had been temporarily suspended. At the same time, the company expresses the expectation that an offer for the supply of triacetate celluloid could be made within a short period. Triacetate film base was developed as a safer alternative to the highly flammable nitrate film base that had previously been widely used in photography and cinema. This reference reflects a technological transition taking place in the materials used for photographic and cinematic film production.

The correspondence also notes that celluloid could only be supplied in limited quantities and in rolls of a specific width. Such limitations likely reflect the economic conditions prevailing in Europe after the Second World War. Industrial production and the distribution of chemical raw materials were subject to temporary shortages, requiring manufacturers to reorganize their supply networks.

Postal markings on the card indicate that it passed through the Belgian postal system and is dated 1946, a period when commercial correspondence and industrial communication were gradually being restored after the war. The use of a printed business card format illustrates how large companies standardized their corporate communication for routine business correspondence.

From a philatelic perspective the document belongs to the category of commercial and industrial correspondence. Its connection with the production of photographic film materials also makes it relevant for thematic collections related to the history of photography and photographic technology. The letter demonstrates that the photographic industry relied not only on optical equipment and cameras but also on complex chemical and plastics industries.

English Translation of the Reverse Side Text

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Gentlemen,

In reply to your letter dated the 19th, we inform you that the sale of celluloid has been temporarily suspended. Nevertheless, we hope to be able within a few days to submit an offer for the delivery of triacetate celluloid, 0.19 mm thickness (non-flammable).

Celluloid is supplied only in limited quantities and exclusively in rolls 110 cm in width.

Yours faithfully,

Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V.

26 February 1946

Record Information

Title: Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V. Business Card (Mortsel to St. Niklaas-Waas)

Category: Photographic Film Industry / Commercial Correspondence

Subcategory: Chemical & Plastics Supply / Post-War Industrial Networks

Country: Belgium (Sender: Mortsel) → Belgium (Recipient: St. Niklaas-Waas)

City: Mortsel, Antwerp (Sender: Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V.) → St. Niklaas-Waas (Recipient: Nieuwe Fabrieken Alfred Stevens N.V.)

Date of use: 26 February 1946

Company (Sender): Gevaert Photo-Producten N.V., Mortsel (Antwerp), Belgium. A major European manufacturer of photographic films, motion picture film materials, and light-sensitive products.

Object Type: Commercial correspondence card (printed business stationery)

Postal Features: Belgian postage stamps; Mortsel postal cancellation (26 February 1946).

Language: French

Material: Paper (card stock)

Dimensions: Standard business card format

Collection Theme: Gevaert Photo-Producten, Mortsel photographic industry, Belgian chemical manufacturing, celluloid supply, triacetate film base, non-flammable film, Alfred Stevens, St. Niklaas-Waas, post-war industrial recovery, film base technology, nitrate vs. safety film, 1940s Belgian postal history.

Archival Significance: This 1946 business correspondence documents the supply of celluloid and triacetate film base materials between two Belgian industrial firms (Gevaert and Alfred Stevens), illustrating the post-war recovery of the photographic film industry and the technological transition from nitrate to safety film bases in Europe.

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.