Date of use : 1923 Germany

Envelope from Germany to Thames Photographic Co. with Photochemie logo

A letter sent from Germany to a British company named The Thames Photographic Co. Unfortunately, no definitive information is available about this company. However, it is believed that it might have been among the photographic material manufacturers or suppliers in England. On the back of the envelope, the logo "Photochemie Berlin N113" can be seen.

Photochemie was a publisher with its own photographic printing plant, and it mainly produced postcards using gravure printing. Starting from 1907, the company used its triangular logo on postcards featuring various models such as children, women, and couples. Between 1914 and 1919, the company also produced an extensive series of German film stars. However, in these series, the company name was used instead of the triangular logo.

Record Information

Title: Envelope from Germany to Thames Photographic Co. with Photochemie logo

Category: Photographic Industry History / Ephemera

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / Publishing & Printing

Country: Germany (Origin) / United Kingdom (Destination)

City: Berlin → Richmond, Surrey

Date of use: 1923 (inferred from context)

Company (Sender): Photochemie, Berlin N113 (publisher with photographic printing plant, active from at least 1907)

Company (Recipient): The Thames Photographic Co., Kew Foot Road, Richmond, Surrey (believed to be a photographic manufacturer or supplier in England)

Products/Specialty: Postcards (gravure printing), series featuring children, women, couples; German film stars series (1914-1919)

Distinctive Mark: Triangular logo of Photochemie Berlin on the back of the envelope

Object Type: Commercial envelope (letter)

Postal Features: German postal markings, British arrival markings (presumed)

Language: German / English

Material: Paper envelope

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Collection Theme: Photochemie publishing history, Anglo-German trade in photographic materials, postcard production, commercial ephemera of the 1920s

Archival Significance: This 1920s envelope from Photochemie Berlin to The Thames Photographic Co. in England illustrates the cross-channel commercial connections in the photographic industry during the interwar period. Photochemie was a significant German publisher with its own gravure printing plant, known for its distinctive triangular logo on postcards from 1907 onward. The company's production of film star series (1914-1919) reflects early celebrity culture and the popularization of cinema. While the recipient company, Thames Photographic Co., remains obscure, this item provides material evidence of Photochemie's business outreach to the UK market. The envelope itself, bearing the company's triangular logo, serves as a primary source for understanding the branding, marketing, and distribution networks of European photographic publishers in the 1920s.

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.
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