Date of use : 1933, Czechoslovakia

Vladimir Albrecht Photographic Equipment Wholesaler

This commercial envelope represents an example of the economic relationships that connected Prague-based businesses with regional clients during the period when the photographic industry was expanding in Central Europe. The printed heading at the top of the envelope includes the name "Vladimír Albrecht – fotokomora." The term "fotokomora" in Czech refers to photographic darkroom equipment or photographic laboratory facilities. The address line "Praha XII, Jugoslavská 16" indicates that the sending firm operated in a commercial district of Prague. This suggests that the business likely dealt in photographic supplies, darkroom equipment, or other technical materials associated with photographic production.

Although detailed biographical information about Vladimír Albrecht remains limited, the printed business heading and the promotional texts on the envelope indicate that the firm was connected with the photographic trade. The envelope also contains advertising statements including phrases such as "5% půjčky Praze." Such promotional messages were commonly printed on commercial envelopes of the period. Businesses often used their correspondence envelopes not only for postal communication but also as advertising media. In this context the envelope functioned simultaneously as a postal document and as a commercial promotional tool.

The recipient line reads "V. (Vaclav) Linhart – foto – Turnov," indicating that the addressee was likely a photographer or photographic business operating in the town of Turnov. Turnov, located in the Bohemian region, was historically known for craft industries, glass production, and small-scale commercial activity. The correspondence between a Prague-based supplier and a photographer in Turnov therefore reflects a regional network of photographic production and supply.

The postage stamp and cancellation mark belong to the postal system of Czechoslovakia. The cancellation includes the inscription "Praha 25," indicating a postal district in Prague, together with a date marking that corresponds to the mid-1930s. During this period photography was rapidly expanding among both professional photographers and amateur users throughout Central Europe. Prague developed into an important regional center for the trade and distribution of photographic equipment. Manufacturers and distributors from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia participated in a competitive market supplying photographic materials to local studios.

From a design perspective the typography of the envelope reflects the commercial aesthetic typical of the period. The sender's name is printed in a bold typographic style, followed by the address beneath it. The advertising texts printed in different colors further emphasize the promotional character of the envelope. This design approach illustrates how commercial correspondence envelopes were frequently used as marketing tools by small businesses.

Record Information

Title: Vladimir Albrecht Photographic Equipment Wholesaler

Category: Photographic Industry History / Trade and Distribution

Subcategory: Commercial Correspondence / Central European Markets

Country: Czechoslovakia → Czechoslovakia

City: Prague (Praha XII) → Turnov

Date of use: 1933

Company (Sender): Vladimír Albrecht, fotokomora, Praha XII, Jugoslavská 16. A photographic equipment wholesaler operating in Prague, specializing in darkroom equipment and photographic supplies.

Object Type: Domestic commercial envelope

Postal Features: Czechoslovak postage stamp; Prague 25 postal cancellation (1933).

Language: Czech

Material: Paper envelope with printed advertising

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Collection Theme: Vladimír Albrecht, fotokomora, Prague photographic trade, Jugoslavská Street, Turnov photography, Czechoslovak photographic industry, darkroom equipment, 1930s Central Europe, regional distribution networks.

Archival Significance: This 1933 envelope documents a Prague-based photographic wholesaler and its regional client network, illustrating the distribution infrastructure of the photographic industry in interwar Czechoslovakia.

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 : 1935, Czechoslovakia

Fotochema Photographic Materials Producer

Fotochema was established in 1921 and operated in the production and distribution of chemical materials used in photographic processes. During the period when photographic technology relied on analog chemical methods, photographic papers, developing chemicals, fixing agents, and various laboratory materials were essential supplies for both professional photographic studios and amateur photographers. In Central Europe, during the early twentieth century, the manufacture of such products gradually became institutionalized and developed into a significant sub-sector of the chemical industry. Companies such as Fotochema supplied the domestic market while also maintaining commercial relationships with photographers and photographic businesses in neighboring countries.

The envelope addressed to the Vienna-based photographic dealer Alois Bäuerl provides evidence of this cross-border commercial network. The firm Fotochema, based in Prague, maintained regular correspondence with photographic supply businesses operating in Austria. This commercial communication reflects the structure of the photographic industry in Central Europe during the interwar period, in which chemical manufacturers and photographic supply firms in one country supplied materials to photographic dealers in neighboring states. The postal cancellation and stamps confirm that the envelope circulated through the Czechoslovak postal system.

Record Information

Title: Fotochema Business Envelope (Prague to Vienna)

Category: Photographic Industry History / Commercial Correspondence

Subcategory: Czechoslovak Chemical Manufacturers / Cross-Border Trade

Country: Czechoslovakia (Sender: Prague) → Austria (Recipient: Vienna)

City: Prague (Sender: Fotochema) → Vienna, Austria (Recipient: Alois Bäuerl)

Date of use: 1935

Company (Sender): Fotochema, Prague, Czechoslovakia. A photographic materials manufacturer established in 1921, producing chemical products for photographic processes, including developing chemicals, fixing agents, and photographic papers.

Object Type: Commercial envelope (business correspondence)

Postal Features: Czechoslovak postage stamps; Prague postal cancellation (1935).

Language: Czech / German (recipient address)

Material: Paper envelope

Dimensions: Standard commercial envelope format

Collection Theme: Fotochema, Prague photographic industry, Czechoslovak chemical manufacturing, Alois Bäuerl, Vienna photographic trade, cross-border commerce, interwar Central Europe, 1930s postal history, photographic supply networks.

Archival Significance: This 1935 envelope documents commercial correspondence between the Czechoslovak photographic materials manufacturer Fotochema and a Viennese photographic dealer, illustrating the cross-border trade networks that supplied photographic chemicals and supplies in interwar Central Europe.

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.