Date of use : 30 June 1875, USA

Reid & Moulton Photographic Supply Postcard

This document is an early United States postal card bearing the printed letterhead of Reid & Moulton, a commercial firm operating in Cleveland, Ohio. The heading on the reverse side identifies the company as the successors to A. S. Robbins and describes the business as wholesale dealers in photographic materials, photographic apparatus, frames, mouldings, chromolithographs, and engravings. Two business addresses are listed at Superior Street and Seneca Street in Cleveland. The handwritten date on the card indicates June 30, 1875.

The activities of Reid & Moulton reflect the commercial infrastructure of the rapidly expanding photographic industry in the second half of the nineteenth century. After the public introduction of photography in 1839 with the daguerreotype process, numerous photographic techniques—including wet plate negatives and albumen prints—became widely adopted. This expansion led not only to the growth of photographic studios but also to the emergence of commercial suppliers specializing in photographic equipment and materials. Firms such as Reid & Moulton likely functioned as regional distributors providing photographers with chemicals, photographic plates, printing papers, and related apparatus.

During this period Cleveland emerged as a significant industrial and commercial center within the United States. Located on the southern shore of Lake Erie, the city developed extensive connections through rail and water transportation networks linking the eastern and midwestern regions of the country. These logistical advantages supported the development of commercial businesses distributing photographic equipment and other technical goods. Companies like Reid & Moulton probably served as wholesalers supplying photographic studios and retail dealers throughout the surrounding region.

The card itself represents an official United States postal card, a communication format introduced during the early 1870s. Postal cards offered a quick and economical method for sending short messages without the need for an envelope. The Cleveland postal cancellation indicates that the message may have been transmitted locally within the same city. Such cards were frequently used for brief business communications, appointment requests, or confirmations.

The handwritten message on the reverse side suggests that the sender was requesting a meeting or conversation regarding a particular address. The tone of the message resembles a brief business inquiry rather than a detailed commercial transaction. This usage illustrates how postal cards became a practical tool for everyday communication in commercial contexts.

From a collecting perspective, this card may be classified within several thematic categories. It represents an early example of commercial correspondence related to the photographic supply trade. At the same time it belongs to the early history of United States postal cards introduced during the 1870s. The printed letterhead demonstrates that the nineteenth-century photographic industry relied not only on studios and photographers but also on a broader commercial supply network.

In conclusion, this postal card provides a valuable historical example of the commercial distribution structure supporting photography in the late nineteenth century. Firms such as Reid & Moulton formed an essential part of the supply chain that allowed photographic technology to spread among professional users. Documents of this kind illustrate that the history of photography is shaped not only by technical innovation but also by the economic and commercial networks that supported its development.

Record Information

Title: Reid & Moulton Photographic Supply Postcard

Category: Photographic Industry History / Wholesale Trade

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / 19th-Century Ephemera

Country: USA

City: Cleveland, Ohio

Date of use: 30 June 1875

Company (Sender): Reid & Moulton, successors to A. S. Robbins, Superior Street and Seneca Street, Cleveland, Ohio. Wholesale dealers in photographic materials, apparatus, frames, mouldings, chromolithographs, and engravings.

Object Type: U.S. postal card (official postal stationery)

Postal Features: Pre-printed U.S. postal card (introduced early 1870s); Cleveland, Ohio cancellation (30 June 1875).

Content: Handwritten message requesting a meeting or conversation, typical of brief business correspondence.

Language: English

Material: Card stock

Dimensions: Standard postal card format

Collection Theme: Reid & Moulton, Cleveland commerce, 19th-century photographic trade, wholesale distribution, U.S. postal cards, business ephemera, photographic apparatus, chromolithographs.

Archival Significance: This 1875 postal card documents a Cleveland photographic wholesaler, illustrating the commercial supply networks that supported the expanding photographic industry in the late 19th-century United States.

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.

Date of use : 1937 USA

Shermer's Photographic Goods – U.S. Camera Supplier

The first half of the twentieth century was a period during which photographic technology spread rapidly and photographic equipment was distributed through extensive commercial networks. Camera manufacturers, film producers, and optical instrument makers did not operate solely from large industrial centers; their products were also marketed nationwide through local retailers and regional distributors. In the United States, this commercial structure developed particularly within the industrial ecosystem established by major manufacturers such as Eastman Kodak. As a result, photographic equipment became increasingly accessible to both professional photographers and amateur users. This commercial envelope, sent from the town of Seymour in the state of Connecticut and dated 1937, represents a small yet meaningful historical document illustrating the functioning of these distribution networks.

The printed letterhead in the upper left corner of the envelope reads "Shermer's Photographic Goods," with the address given as Bank Street in Seymour, Connecticut. This indicates that the sender was a commercial establishment engaged in the sale of photographic equipment and photographic supplies. During the first half of the twentieth century, such businesses were widespread across the United States. Local photographic stores supplied cameras, rolls of film, darkroom chemicals, and printing materials to both amateur and professional photographers. Firms of this kind frequently operated as distributors for national manufacturers and played an important role in expanding the accessibility of photographic technology throughout the country.

The recipient of the envelope is identified as "Burleigh Brooks, Inc." located in New York City. The address specifies a business location on West 42nd Street in Manhattan and includes the notation "Attn: Wholesale Div.," indicating that the correspondence was directed to the company's wholesale department. During the mid-twentieth century, Burleigh Brooks, Inc. became known in the United States as an important importer and distributor of photographic equipment. The company played a significant role in bringing photographic products manufactured in Europe and Japan into the American market. For this reason, the correspondence represented by this envelope most likely relates to commercial matters such as product orders, supply arrangements, or distribution agreements.

The document also provides insight into the postal system of the period. The postmark on the envelope bears the inscription "Winsted & Boston R.P.O." The abbreviation R.P.O. refers to the Railway Post Office system. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, mail in the United States was transported in postal cars attached to railway trains, where it was often sorted while in transit. This system significantly increased the speed of mail distribution and contributed to the establishment of an efficient communication network between major cities. The postmark date reads 20 November 1937. The three-cent United States postage stamp affixed to the envelope belongs to the widely used Washington portrait series of the period. Documents of this kind therefore represent not only postal artifacts but also valuable archival sources for understanding the spread of photographic technology and the development of commercial networks in the early twentieth century.

Record Information

Title: Shermer's Photographic Goods – U.S. Camera Supplier

Category: Photographic Industry History / Local Retail

Subcategory: Wholesale Distribution / Business Correspondence

Country: USA

City: Seymour, Connecticut (Sender) / New York City (Recipient)

Date of use: 20 November 1937

Company (Sender): Shermer's Photographic Goods, 68 Bank Street, Seymour, Connecticut. Local retailer of cameras, film, and photographic supplies.

Company (Recipient): Burleigh Brooks, Inc., 127 West 42nd Street, New York City (Attention: Wholesale Division). Prominent U.S. importer and distributor of photographic equipment, specializing in European and Japanese products.

Object Type: Domestic commercial envelope (business correspondence)

Postal Route: Seymour, Connecticut → New York City (via Winsted & Boston Railway Post Office)

Language: English

Material: Paper envelope

Stamp: 3-cent George Washington, standard U.S. issue, 1930s.

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Collection Theme: Shermer's, Seymour Connecticut, Burleigh Brooks, New York photographic trade, wholesale distribution, local camera stores, 1930s retail, Railway Post Office (R.P.O.), U.S. postal history, import-export networks, George Washington stamp.

Archival Significance: This 1937 envelope documents the business link between a local Connecticut photographic retailer and a major New York wholesaler, illustrating the distribution network of photographic supplies in mid-century America.

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.

Date of use : 1931 USA

J.T & D.B. LYON – Kodak Dealer Business Stationery USA

The first half of the twentieth century was a period during which photographic technology began to be adopted by a much broader public. During this time, photographic equipment was not distributed solely by large manufacturers but also through networks of local retailers and commercial distributors. In the United States this development accelerated particularly through the commercial ecosystem created by major companies such as the Eastman Kodak Company. This commercial envelope, dated 1931 and sent by the firm J. T. & D. B. Lyon, operating in Schenectady, New York, represents a noteworthy document illustrating how photographic materials were distributed at the local level.

The printed letterhead in the upper left corner of the envelope clearly identifies the sending company. The wording "J. T. & D. B. Lyon – Kodaks – Everything Photographic" indicates that the firm operated as a commercial retailer specializing in photographic equipment and supplies. The address given on the envelope places the business on State Street in the city of Schenectady, New York. Establishments of this kind were widespread in the United States during the early twentieth century. Cameras, rolls of photographic film, and darkroom supplies produced by large manufacturers were typically distributed to consumers through such local photographic retailers. The use of the term "Kodaks" in the letterhead suggests that the company was likely an authorized dealer for camera and film products manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company. The slogan "Everything Photographic" further emphasizes that the store offered a broad range of products related to photography. The inclusion of the phrase "Fountain Pens" in the same letterhead also indicates that shops of this type frequently sold additional goods such as writing instruments and stationery alongside photographic equipment.

The document also provides valuable information about the postal system of the period. The postmark on the envelope bears the inscription "N.Y. & CHI. R.P.O.," referring to the Railway Post Office system. From the late nineteenth century onward, mail in the United States was transported in specially equipped postal cars attached to railway trains, where letters were often sorted during transit. This system significantly increased the speed and efficiency of mail distribution and helped establish effective communication networks between major cities. The date visible in the postmark can be read as 27 June 1931, indicating that the letter was processed along the railway postal route operating between New York and Chicago. The stamp affixed to the envelope features a portrait of George Washington and represents one of the standard issues widely used in the United States postal system during the first half of the twentieth century.

In conclusion, this commercial envelope sent by J. T. & D. Lyon constitutes a small yet meaningful historical document illustrating how photographic equipment circulated through local commercial networks during the early twentieth century.

Record Information

Title: J.T & D.B. LYON – Kodak Dealer Business Stationery USA

Category: Photographic Industry History / Local Retail

Subcategory: Authorized Kodak Dealers / Business Correspondence

Country: USA

City: Schenectady, New York (Sender)

Date of use: 27 June 1931

Company (Sender): J. T. & D. B. Lyon, State Street, Schenectady, New York. Local photographic retailer and authorized Kodak dealer. Slogan: "Kodaks – Everything Photographic." Also sold fountain pens and stationery.

Object Type: Domestic commercial envelope

Postal Route: N.Y. & CHI. R.P.O. (New York & Chicago Railway Post Office) - processed en route by rail.

Language: English

Material: Paper envelope

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Stamp: George Washington portrait, standard U.S. issue, early 20th century.

Collection Theme: J.T. & D.B. Lyon, Schenectady commerce, Kodak authorized dealers, local photographic retail, early 20th-century camera sales, fountain pens, Railway Post Office (R.P.O.), U.S. postal history, New York business history, George Washington stamps.

Archival Significance: This 1931 envelope documents the role of local authorized Kodak dealers in distributing photographic equipment and highlights the period's Railway Post Office system for efficient business mail.

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.