REAL PHOTO CARDS by R.L. KRAUS

[Ross Ewington]

These real photo cards just arrived on my desk. Both are identified as being published by an R.L. Kraus and are printed on postcard-backed photographic stock of German origin.

bb1051.jpg (187.7 KiB) Viewed 19503 times

bb1052.jpg (228.27 KiB) Viewed 19503 times

bb1052a.jpg (105.33 KiB) Viewed 19503 times

Does anyone have information on the photographer/publisher? I think the cards date from the 1950s/60s period.

If you have any other cards attributed to this photographer/publisher, please post them in this topic.

[Ross Ewington]

Postcard size real photo card printed on Agfa stock - "Kraus Photo" handstamped on back - different to the previously listed items, this card does not have a printed "postcard back".

bb1135.jpg (205.47 KiB) Viewed 18931 times

[Mike]

Another Kruss real photo postcard of the Mayvilla Tea Rooms Bicheno. Interestingly printed on the back "Kruss Photo Longford"
Also on the back in poor handwriting the year 1962 upside down.

Image_20230103_0001.jpg (147.7 KiB) Viewed 18923 times

[John Campton]

Here are two more Kraus photo cards of the Ross Bridge. Both have blank backs, and is why I have called them photo cards and not postcards. What appears to be the more modern of the two has "Kraus Photo Service Scamander' on the front and the other has "Kraus Photo Longford" on the reverse. Both are postcard size so I feel fall into both categories. Neither have been postaly used.

Kraus postcards.jpg (303.08 KiB) Viewed 18891 times

Cannot find any advertising on Trove and they kept a low profile. R.L. Kraus was Richard Louis Herman Kraus and he and his wife, Erna Luise Kraus, were naturalised on 10.6.1960 as advertised in the Commonwealth Gazette dated 13.9.1960. Their address at that stage was 16 Archer Street Longford. If someone has a copy of Tasmanian photographers he may be in that.

Erna died circa 1963 after being bitten by an "Inchman" ant while gardening at her Scamander home (Canberra Times 28.8.1963). However what is confusing is that she is noted as being a "Launceston woman". This was the first recorded death of its kind in Australia. This "First" relates to the "Inchman" variety of ant and not the "Jack Jumper"/"Bulldog"/"Black Jack" variety that had many prior recorded deaths.

Tas Archives has one photograph recorded to Kraus. This is a photograph of Mrs Annie Richards of St Helens and is credited to "Kraus Photo Longford" circa 1950's. It may be possible they had a home both at Longford and Scamander either contemporaneously or at different times.

[Ross Ewington]

Just listed this card by Kraus for auction ...... 'new' cards by this photographer/publisher appear to be few and far between

ww15198.jpg (146.22 KiB) Viewed 2607 times