Figure 1.--This studio portrait of the children in a German family is unidentified. The children look to be about 1-13 years old. We think the children wearing dresses are all girls. Even though they all have short hair, the center part is a strong clue. The cut of the dresses are virtually identical. Also notice the white stockings. The boy wears a cut-away jacket that was only slightly cut away. He has a small collar showing and his long pants are cut very full. The portrait was taken at the Amerikanisches Photographie in Rendsburg. It looks to have been taken in the late-1860s. An interesting aspect of this portrait is that the owner called in the American studio. This has a rather strange sound to us today because the Germans became so strongly associated with photography and cameras. We see that throughout Eastern Europe and the United States when we see so many studios founded by individuals of German ancestry. This may reflect the fact that so many stidios were founded in America than Europe during the 1840s and 50s, far more than any European country, including all of Germany. (Germany was not unified until 1871.)

This studio portrait of the children in a German family is unidentified. The children look to be about 1-13 years old. We think the children wearing dresses are all girls. Even though they all have short hair, the center part is a strong clue. They seem to be identically dressed, but the older girl has a necklace and her dress is done in a similar, but slightly different fabric pattern. We are not sure to what extent the different fabric pattern was chosen conciously to differentiate her. There could also have been color diifferences. The cut of the dresses are virtually identical. The boy wears a cut-away jacket that was only slightly cut away. He has a small collar showing and his long pants are cut very full. The portrait was taken at the Amerikanisches Photographie in Rendsburg. It looks to have been taken in the late-1860s, in part because of the elaborate background. Also the boy's cut-away jacket seems more in keeping with the 1870s when the style began to decline and the jackets were less severely cut away at the bottom. An interesting aspect of this portrait is that the owner called in the American studio. This has a rather strange sound to us today because the Germans became so strongly associated with photography and cameras. We see that throughout Eastern Europe and the United States when we see so many studios founded by individuals of German ancestry. This may reflect the fact that so many studios were founded in America than Europe during the 1840s and 50s, far more than any European country, including all of Germany. (Germany was not unified until 1871.) Rendsburg (Rendsborg) is a town on the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein. The town was seized by Prussia and Austria in the German-Danish War (1864). This was the first major step in changing the Prussian/German image in Britain. (The Princess of Wales was Danish and came to detest the Germand.) After the Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Prussia annexed the town and other areas of Schleswig-Holstein. The portrait here was probably taken some time after this. (The studio information on the back is in Danisgh rather than German.) This helps date the image. The town increased in importanbce after the Kiel Canal was finished, essentially making an inland town a seaport. Although situated inland, Rendsburg became a seaport and a dockyard.

The Children

This studio portrait of the children in a German family is unidentified. The children look to be about 1-13 years old. We think the children wearing dresses are all girls. Even though they all have short hair, the center part is a strong clue.

Girls Outfits and Hair

They seem to be identically dressed, but the older girl has a necklace and her dress is done in a similar, but slightly different fabric pattern. We are not sure to what extent the different fabric pattern was chosen conciously to differentiate her. There could also have been color diifferences. The cut of the dresses are virtually identical.

Boy's Outfit

The boy wears a cut-away jacket that was only slightly cut away. The jacket and pants match. He has a small collar showing and his long pants are cut very full.

American Studio

The portrait was taken at the Amerikanisches Photographie in Rendsburg. An interesting aspect of this portrait is that the owner called in the American studio. This has a rather strange sound to us today because the Germans became so strongly associated with photography and cameras. We see that throughout Eastern Europe and the United States when we see so many studios founded by individuals of German ancestry. This may reflect the fact that so many studios were founded in America than Europe during the 1840s and 50s, far more than any European country, including all of Germany. (Germany was not unified until 1871.) A German photographer of old photographs tells us, "I think it is pretty obvious that the U.S. was a photographic leader in early times. Just remember all these dags and ambros you find in the U.S. today and how rare they are in Germany." What interests us is that the photographic reasearch was mostly European, but the industry developed so much more rapidly in America. It is interesting that someone in Rendsburg was aware of this. Is it possible that the German take over required name changes and the photographer wanted a non-German name?

Chronology

It looks to have been taken in the late-1860s, in part because of the elaborate background. Also the boy's cut-away jacket seems more in keeping with the 1870s when the style began to decline and the jackets were less severely cut away at the bottom.

Rendsburg

Rendsburg (Rendsborg) is a town on the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein. The town was seized by Prussia and Austria in the German-Danish War (1864). This was the first major step in changing the Prussian/German image in Britain. (The Princess of Wales was Danish and came to detest the Germand.) After the Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Prussia annexed the town and other areas of Schleswig-Holstein. The portrait here was probably taken some time after this. (The studio information on the back is in German rather than Danish.) This helps date the image. The town increased in importanbce after the Kiel Canal was finished, essentially making an inland town a seaport. Although situated inland, Rendsburg became a seaport and a dockyard.

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Created: 5:49 AM 10/6/2010
Last updated: 7:00 AM 10/6/2010