Post your antique and vintage photos taken before the1950’s

that’s serious climbing for the time.
Climbing was always serious. The Matterhorn was climbed in 1865. First Everest attempts in 1922 or so. Big solo climbs by Emilio Comici in the Dolomites in 1930s (photo)
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Cote Sainte Catherine tunnel by Berang Berang, on Flickr

Here's a view of the Sainte Catherine tunnel mouth, constructed in the 1840s. The photo was probably taken in the 1880s. The rail line is still in use, however the castle style tunnel mouth was destroyed by a landside in the 1950s, and today is a plain wall of concrete. It is interesting that the castle structure has been burned-in, and so has the wall in the foreground. It feels like the photographer didn't finish all their darkroom work. Very odd.
 
Jim those are beautiful.

I have a box of negatives from my mothers family from the 30-40’s and need to get those out and scan some. The negatives were roll film and pretty close to 4x5. I’m not sure what roll size and camera would have been that big.

Thanks and keep them coming.

Here’s another image. No idea who or who made the image but it’s a beautiful Daguerrotype dating back to 1840-1850.

There are really difficult to photograph because they’re on highly polished silver and can be positive or negative depending on the light and what it’s reflecting.
 

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I have a box of negatives from my mothers family from the 30-40’s and need to get those out and scan some. The negatives were roll film and pretty close to 4x5. I’m not sure what roll size and camera would have been that big.
54, 109, 110 (roll not cartridge) and 123 roll films were 4x5. There are a lot of others that are close: Film sizes and designations - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

I can't imagine what handling that stuff would have been like.
 
Wonderful thread and great idea @x-ray. I am enjoying all the contributions.

I have some of my Dad's photographs from the 1930-40's. Once I dig them out I will post some.
 
A set of prints that I bought on eBay in 2007 after my one and only trip to China. No date on the package, but I am guessing 1920s. Prints are approximately 60mm by 100mm, but are not all exactly the same size, appear to be cut with scissors. The blue and purple colors are not on the prints, but reflections from piece of plastic I used to hold the prints flat. Not great, but you get the idea. Also, I have a magic lantern slide that looks exactly like the publisher's trademark, a line of camels passing in front of a corner tower of Bejing city wall!


 
When I found this picture I didn't think much of it, it didnt have a inscription except 1923. After I shared it I was told this is one of the (very) few pictures of a tram that only operated for 5yrs to join Quito with the town of Cotocollao (it's all now one city)
The line was 9km long and the tram used gasoline engines, while the tram around the town was using electrical.



A full history of trams in Quito:
 
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Freakscene thanks for the info.

Fabulous images here!

Here’s one I have hanging on my wall. It’s under glass so there are a few reflections but it’s around 4x6 inches and has 3 men holding their beverages.
 

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A set of prints that I bought on eBay in 2007 after my one and only trip to China. No date on the package, but I am guessing 1920s. Prints are approximately 60mm by 100mm, but are not all exactly the same size, appear to be cut with scissors. The blue and purple colors are not on the prints, but reflections from piece of plastic I used to hold the prints flat. Not great, but you get the idea. Also, I have a magic lantern slide that looks exactly like the publisher's trademark, a line of camels passing in front of a corner tower of Bejing city wall!


These make me curious about Jung Chen and his studio - I can’t imagine what it must have been like working as a photographer in China the republic period.
 
Do postcards also count?
I have a few from the early 1900s
e.g NICE sent in 1911
 

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Gare de la Bastille 19?? by Berang Berang, on Flickr

A mysterious photo. Date unknown, but I'm guessing 1930s. The locomotive dates to the 1880s, and the last of its class was taken out of service a few years after the end of WWII. The station building in the photo was torn down in the 1980s, so it took some searching to figure out the location. Going by the lack of crowds in the photo, and the clock in the background, must've been taken very early in the morning.
 
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