Tuesday, 30 September 2025

R. Stüssi Photographic Works in Alsace

Date of use : 1900 Germany

R. Stüssi Photographic Works in Alsace

Information about R. (likely Rudolf) Stüssi Photographische Manufaktur is limited today. However, available records indicate that the company first began operating in Basel, Switzerland, and later established a branch in Mulhouse (Mülhausen), Alsace. The firm most likely specialized in the production and sale of large-format wooden cameras and their accessories, which were common at the time.
German patent records from 1903 and 1904 show that Stüssi was not only a retailer but also an innovative manufacturer. One patent describes a special mechanism with two rotating discs that allowed the lens to move precisely along both the horizontal and vertical axes. This highlights the company's role in the technical advancement of photographic equipment. The product range probably also included tripods (Stative), various apparatus, and photographic chemicals, offering photographers a wider set of tools.
During the period when this envelope was mailed (1871–1918), Alsace was under the German Empire's control. At that time, Mulhouse was a major industrial hub, thriving in both textiles and photographic materials. Stüssi's company operated as a small-scale but innovative manufacturer within this industrial setting. However, after Alsace returned to French administration in 1918, the firm was likely dissolved or transformed. Today, no business under this name survives.
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.

No comments:

Post a Comment