American Automatic Photo (Company)

Identity

Category

Firm

Alternative name or descriptor

Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules

Status

  • Professional

Details

Life dates

Activity

1912 - 1914 > Anvers, Rue Carnot, 22
An international multi-studio business that supplied passport-type photographs by means of a camera producing a strip of 12 identical portraits, commonly referred to as stickyback photographs. On advertising postcard, "12 handsome photographs for 50 centimes. Photograph yourself by pushing a button." "Company" at this address. The franchise here was probably operated separately from the branches in Brussels and Liège: advertisements in a Groningen [NL] newspaper in November 1912 and 20.5.1914 listed additional branches in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, The Hague, Brussels and Liège but omitted Antwerp. Advertised at this address for a photographer and lady cashier in September 1912. Still advertising here in June 1915.
1912 - 1914 > Liège, Rue de la Cathédrale, 65
"Automatic Photo" was still advertising here in April 1917. It would have been unwise to continue trading as "American" in occupied Belgium once the USA had entered World War I.
1912 - 1914 Bruxelles, Rue Neuve, 109<12-14> or 9<14>
Advertisement at no. 9, "the firm has no branches in town" (Le Soir, 29.3.1914). However, the Groningen multi-studio advertisement of 20.5.1914 still lists no. 109. It is possible that two branches were operating independently based on the same franchise or technology. Also see entry for "Photo Compagnie Belge", co-existing at no. 109, 1912-1914.

Locations

1912 - 1914 > Anvers, Rue Carnot, 22
1912 - 1914 > Liège, Rue de la Cathédrale, 65
1912 - 1914 Bruxelles, Rue Neuve, 109<12-14> or 9<14>

Exhibitions

Genres / subject matter

Techniques

Bibliography/Webography

Context

Affiliations

Management

Record source

DIRECTORY_2017#0375

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation/revision

SFJ new 15.10.2017; revised 31.12.2017 & 18.1.2018; SFJ revised 5.5.2021 based on information supplied by Peter Eyckerman and M. Demaeght; MD revised 3.9.2020, 24.11.2020, 17.2.2021 & 20.2.2024

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