Date of use : 1892 Italy

Camera Offer from Pallavicino to Berlin

This card was sent in 1892 by Pietro Pallavicino, an optical and photographic equipment dealer from Turin, to the G. Goliasch & Cia company in Berlin. While there is no concrete information about the company, the seal on the card indicates that it was a business dealing in "Ottico" (Optician), "Apparecchi Fotografici e Timbri" (Photographic Equipment and Stamps).

The text on the reverse side of the card, in Italian, reads as follows:

"Dear Sirs, Goliasch & Company, Berlin, It is my honor to inform you that the latest batch of portable cameras, of excellent quality and at very reasonable prices, has arrived in my hands. I am pleased to send you my illustrated catalog and I hope to be honored with your orders. Sincerely, P. Pallavicino"

Record Information

Title: Camera Offer from Pallavicino to Berlin

Category: Photographic Trade History / Commercial Correspondence

Subcategory: International Camera Trade / Optical Equipment

Country: Italy (Origin) / Germany (Destination)

City: Turin → Berlin

Date of use: 1892 (based on postmark and card design)

Sender: Pietro Pallavicino, Turin, Italy (Ottico – Apparecchi Fotografici e Timbri)

Recipient: G. Goliasch & Cia, Berlin, Germany

Object Type: International commercial postcard / business promotion

Postal Administration: Italian postal service (UPU member)

Postal Route: Turin → Berlin

Product: Portable cameras of excellent quality at reasonable prices

Business Range: Optical goods, photographic equipment, stamps (timbri)

Language: Italian

Material: Printed card stock with handwritten message

Dimensions: Standard UPU postcard format

Collection Theme: Italian-German photographic trade, 19th century camera distribution, international business networks

Archival Significance: This 1892 postcard documents a direct commercial offer from Pietro Pallavicino, an Italian optical and photographic equipment dealer in Turin, to G. Goliasch & Cia in Berlin. The sender's business scope—optician, photographic equipment, and stamps—illustrates the diversified nature of 19th-century photographic trade. The offer of "portable cameras of excellent quality at very reasonable prices" reflects the growing market for amateur photography equipment. The mention of an illustrated catalog indicates sophisticated marketing practices. The use of a UPU-standard international postcard demonstrates the efficiency of cross-border postal communication. This item is a primary source for understanding the commercial networks connecting Italian and German photographic markets, the promotion of portable camera technology, and the business practices of small to medium-sized photographic equipment dealers in the late 19th century.

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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