In 1898, the modern City of New York was formed with the consolidation of Brooklyn (until then a separate city), the County of New York (which then included parts of the Bronx), the County of Richmond, and the western portion of the County of Queens. The opening of the subway in 1904, first built as separate private systems, helped bind the new city together. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, the city became a world center for industry, commerce, and communication. The photochrom process was invented by Hans Jakob Schmid in the 1880s and involved taking lithograph tablets and coating them with a chemical mixture that would allow them to retouch the images with color tints. In America, the Detroit Publish Company licensed the technology to use for its own series of American places. The prints often have a distinctive gold border and a one-line description of the location and were mostly made from 1890-1910. The photochroms were popular as souvenirs, especially for travelers. People often saved them for photo albums or had them framed. During the height of its success, the Detroit Publishing Company maintained markets in Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Zurich. They continued to expand their lines by selling images in popular boutiques, tourist spots, and also through mail-order. During World War I, sales of photographs and postcards began to decline. With the advent of newer, inexpensive methods of printing that were being used by competing firms, it eventually took its toll on the DPC and it forced the company into receivership by 1924. After struggling for the next eight years, the DPC finally liquidated all of its assets in 1932. (Photo credit: Library of Congress). Notify me of new posts by email.

Δ Subscribe

Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 71Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 41Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 87Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 41Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 79Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 39Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 56Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 52Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 83Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 54Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 78Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 20Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 19Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 26Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 85Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 56Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 43Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 59Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 64Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 81Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 75Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 30Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 54Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 52Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 92Dreamy photochroms of New York City 1900s - 18