When photography was new, pictures offered people a way to see far away places for the first time. Sending a postcard was a big deal since your loved ones might otherwise never understand where you had been. The concept of databases of images available to the public was unheard of. These images from 1890 to 1905 were intended for display, as souvenirs of where you’d been. Similar to postcards in many ways, these richly colored images are photocroms, images produced in a multi-step process that combines photography and lithography to create what looks like something between an etching and a color photo. These cards (often around 6″ x 9″) were the best way to keep a record of your travels since cameras were few and far between. We love the quaint feeling most of them have. The odd green colors are perfectly indicative of the turn of the century! Let’s take a look into the past through these unique and sometimes haunting images.

Library of Congress
Library of Congress

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