Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
This German Feldpost (field/military) postcard is dated Aug. 19, 1916. A group of infantrymen is being entertained by a man in civilian clothes holding a music box with the words "Automate à musique" on the front. Perched calmly on top of the music box is a black and white cat. A second man in civilian... Continue Reading →
These postcards were acquired by a British or American sailor during the First World War. They were probably made available to the men as keepsakes of their service. In the image above, a line of sailors is visible in the distance, probably on a brief leave to sightsee. The snowy hills on the island below... Continue Reading →
On December 15, 1917, an armistice was signed between the Central Powers and the new revolutionary communist government of Soviet Russia. It went into effect two days later, on December 17. The Soviets would officially leave the war the following March, after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, but the December armistice clearly felt like the end... Continue Reading →
This impromptu group portrait was likely taken at a medical facility not far from the front lines during the First World War. The man seated next to the colonel is wearing a tailored suit with a Red Cross pin on the lapel, suggesting he may be a visitor rather than a patient.
France or Belgium, no additional information.
