These rediscovered Photochrom and Photostint postcard images from the private collection of Marc Walter were produced by the Detroit Photographic Company between 1888 and 1924.
Using a photolithographic process that predated the autochrome by nearly 20 years, they offered people the very first color photographs of The United States. Suddenly, the continent's colors were available for all to see. The rich ochres and browns of the Grand Canyon, the dazzle of Atlantic City, became a visual delight not only for eyewitnesses, but for Americans far and wide.
A Monday washing, New York |
Mulberry Street, New York |
Zuni people, the rain dance, New Mexico |
Mount Lowe railway, on the circular bridge, California |
Grand Canyon, view from O'Neill's Point, Arizona |
Sunset from the Battery, New York |
Magnolia-on-the-Ashley, Charleston |
Diving for coins, Bahamas |
Members of the Seminole Tribe in Florida |
Homestake mine, South Dakota |
A glorious panorama shows the Californian city of San Francisco when it was still a relatively small settlement |
Mariposa Grove, 'Three Graces', Yosemite national park, California |
Clear Creek Canyon, Georgetown loop, Colorado |
(Photographs: Collection Marc Walter/Taschen)