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.

Date of use : 1905 USA

Lowman & Hanford Co. – U.S. Photo Materials Dealer Cover

The heading printed in the upper left corner of the envelope reads "Lowman & Hanford Stationery and Printing Co., Seattle, Washington." This firm was an important printing and stationery company that began operating in the northwestern United States during the late nineteenth century. The company is known to have played a role in the early development of the commercial publishing and printing industry in Seattle. As indicated by its name, the firm's principal activities included printing services, the production of stationery, and various forms of commercial printing. However, the phrase "Complete Line of Photo Supplies" printed on the envelope indicates that the company also engaged in the sale of photographic materials. This suggests that commercial businesses of the period often offered a broad range of products and services that extended across multiple sectors.

The camera illustration printed on the envelope represents an early folding bellows camera. Cameras of this type became widely used among both professional and amateur photographers from the 1890s onward. Their portability and the possibility of using interchangeable lenses made them particularly suitable for field photography. The presence of this illustration on the envelope can therefore be interpreted as a graphic advertising element intended to promote the company's involvement in the sale of photographic equipment.

The recipient of the envelope appears to be a person whose name can be read as "Kelly Capardue," with an address located somewhere in the state of Utah. Because the handwriting is somewhat difficult to interpret, the exact spelling of the surname cannot be determined with certainty; this reading should therefore be regarded as a tentative interpretation. Although the precise identity of the recipient remains unclear, it is possible that the individual was either a customer purchasing photographic equipment or a business owner interested in photographic supplies. In the early twentieth century, mail-order catalogues and postal ordering systems were widely used throughout the United States. Many companies distributed catalogues to potential customers and received orders through the postal service. For this reason, it is likely that the envelope originally contained a product catalogue, a price list, or some form of commercial correspondence.

Record Information

Title: Lowman & Hanford Co. – U.S. Photo Materials Dealer Cover

Category: Photographic Industry History / Commercial Supply

Subcategory: Early Photography Trade / Mail-Order Advertising

Country: USA

City: Seattle, Washington (Sender) / Utah (Recipient, city unknown)

Date of use: circa 1905

Company (Sender): Lowman & Hanford Stationery and Printing Co., Seattle. A prominent printing and stationery firm that also sold "Complete Line of Photo Supplies," including cameras and related materials. The envelope features an illustration of an early folding bellows camera as a graphic advertisement.

Recipient: Kelly Capardue (name tentatively interpreted), Utah.

Object Type: Domestic commercial envelope (advertising cover) likely containing a catalogue or price list.

Visual Element: Illustration of a folding bellows camera, a popular camera type from the 1890s onward, used to advertise the company's photographic supply business.

Language: English

Material: Paper envelope

Dimensions: Standard envelope format

Collection Theme: Lowman & Hanford, Seattle commerce, early 20th-century printing industry, photographic supply dealers, mail-order trade, folding camera advertising, commercial stationery, business history of Washington state.

Archival Significance: This 1905 envelope illustrates the diversification of a regional printing firm into photographic sales and documents early mail-order advertising practices in the western 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.