Date of use : 1952 Germany

Foto Engel Photographic Lab and Shop Stationery

This envelope represents a commercial postal item sent from a photographic retail business in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, to a recipient in Strasbourg, France. The printed letterhead on the left side identifies the sender as Foto Engel, located at Eisenbahnstraße 31 in Freiburg. The inscription "Foto – Kino – Projektion" indicates that the business operated in the fields of photographic equipment, cinema technology, and projection systems. Enterprises of this type were common in European cities during the mid-twentieth century and functioned as important distribution points within the expanding market for visual technologies.

The precise founding date of the Foto Engel business cannot be determined solely from this envelope; however, the commercial terminology used in the letterhead suggests that the firm likely formed part of the photographic retail sector that expanded rapidly in Germany after the Second World War. During the post-war decades amateur photography became increasingly widespread, creating strong demand for cameras, photographic film, and related technical equipment. Photographic retailers often provided not only sales of cameras and accessories but also film processing, printing services, and projection equipment. The combination of photography, cinema, and projection services in the company's description suggests that the business offered a relatively broad range of visual technology products rather than functioning as a simple photographic shop.

The recipient named on the envelope is Georges Lautemann, whose address is listed in the Neudorf district of Strasbourg at 14 Rue de la Musau. The profession of Lautemann cannot be determined directly from the surviving envelope; however, the fact that the letter originated from a photographic equipment retailer suggests that the recipient may have been involved in photography either professionally or as an enthusiast. Strasbourg occupies a strategic position near the Franco-German border and has historically been a location characterized by close economic and cultural interactions between the two countries. Correspondence between a photographic retailer in Freiburg and a resident of Strasbourg therefore represents a typical example of cross-border commercial communication within the European market.

The postage stamp and cancellation marks belong to the postal system of the Federal Republic of Germany. The stamp bears the inscription Deutsche Bundespost, which identifies it as part of the standard postal issues used in West Germany during the post-war period. The cancellation mark indicates that the letter was processed through the Freiburg postal facility. In addition, the printed phrase "Bestimmungsort deutlich schreiben," which translates as "write the destination clearly," reflects a standard postal instruction intended to ensure the efficient handling of mail.

The physical structure of the envelope also reflects typical commercial mailing practices of the mid-twentieth century. The envelope includes a window section through which the recipient's address, printed or typed on the internal letter, becomes visible. Window envelopes were widely used by businesses because they simplified the preparation of outgoing mail and allowed companies to send invoices, notices, or other routine correspondence more efficiently.

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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