W.P. Floyd Hong Kong: 3 Uniformed Men Merchant Marine? (Vintage CDV ~1870s)

original vintage carte de visite (cdv) photo - no reprint! 

carte de visite photos were first introduced in 1854 and were replaced by the larger cabinet cards, in the early 1870s...

antique carte de visite (cdv), circa 1870s, photographed by w.p. floyd, wellington and wyndham streets, hongkong. floyd was one of the most prominent commercial photographers operating in colonial hong kong during the late 1860s and early 1870s, and his studio was regarded as one of the leading photographic establishments in the far east at the time.

the albumen print shows a studio portrait of three young men wearing matching dark uniforms with distinctive light-coloured braid trim on the sleeves. one man stands centrally with arms folded, wearing a bow tie, while the other two are seated on studio chairs. the seated man on the right holds a walking cane and wears a beard, while the other two men have moustaches typical of the period. the exact nature of the uniform is unconfirmed - the braided sleeve trim and overall style could suggest a maritime/merchant marine background, a civic or fraternal organisation, or possibly a fire brigade or similar volunteer body active in the colony at the time. note that the hong kong volunteer corps was disbanded between 1866 and 1878, so it is unlikely to be that particular unit. buyers with knowledge of period uniforms are welcome to draw their own conclusions from the photos.

photographer's backmark on reverse reads "w. p. floyd, wellington and wyndham streets, hongkong" with "no. of negative" printed below, left blank/unfilled.

mounted on period card stock with rounded corners, typical of the cdv format. the card shows light age toning and some handling wear consistent with its age, please see photos for full condition details.

a scarce piece of early hong kong colonial photography, of interest to collectors of china trade photographs, cdv collectors, and those researching 19th century hong kong maritime, civic, or military history.

size: ~ 10.2 x 6.2 cm (1 cm ~ 0.39 inch)

condition: very good....please also refer to scan which show complete front and reverse of photo.

fotografie, photograph, photographe, kabinettformat, cabinet photo, foto, kabinett photo, cdv, carde de visite, albumen silver print, tirage albuminé, indochina, trade, uniforms