LL Pricam / Geneva: Gentlemen Handlebar Moustache - Photography Dynasty (Vintage CDV ~1900s/1910s)

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) photograph by l.l. pricam, photographe, 2 boulevard de plainpalais, geneva, switzerland.

the reverse states "ancienne maison e. pricam" and "maison fondee en 1867," linking this studio directly to emile pricam (1844-1919), a well documented and awarded geneva photographer known for his carbon print enlargement process, honored at the 1878 paris universal exhibition and with a silver medal from the geneva societe des arts in 1879.

emile pricam built and occupied this same plainpalais studio address from 1882 onward, right next to the rival boissonnas photography studio.

l.l. pricam appears to be his successor at the same address, suggesting this card dates to roughly 1900-1910, during the transition between the two generations of the family firm.

the photograph shows a distinguished looking gentleman with a groomed, upward curled moustache and slicked back hair, wearing a dark suit and tie, photographed with a soft vignette effect fading to white at the edges, plus an embossed "pricam" signature within the image itself. sitter is unidentified.

reverse also notes the firm's specialty in "agrandissements inalterables" (permanent enlargements) and includes a handwritten card number.

overall condition is good for its age, with light general wear.

a strong piece for collectors interested in swiss photography history, geneva studios, or the pricam family in particular, given the documented historical significance of the founding photographer.

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, victorian era, portrait