A stereoview on a red mount showing a wide, panoramic view of an open agricultural field, with a village or small town visible in the middle distance, framed by a row of bare, leafless trees and low buildings. In the immediate foreground, a plain wooden cross has been driven into the churned earth to mark a grave, with pieces of discarded cloth or bandaging lying nearby on the disturbed ground. The printed caption on the mount identifies the location as the battlefield near Gravelotte, viewed from the direction of a farm referred to as 'La Ferme.'
The mount carries the imprint of E. Linde's Photographisches Depôt of Berlin, a firm that issued stereo photographs of German cities and, following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, a series of battlefield views under the heading 'Kriegsschauplatz 1870' ('Theatre of War 1870'); the format, typography, and red mount are consistent with this publisher's output of the early 1870s.
Photographer/publisher: E. Linde's Photographisches Depôt, Berlin
Period/date: circa 1870
Dimensions: 175 x 85 mm
Condition: Good; the mount shows overall toning and light surface soiling, with a few scattered spots of foxing concentrated near the upper edges. The lower right corner of the mount displays a small crease. The albumen prints retain reasonable tonal contrast, though the sky areas show some fading and uneven staining. Corners of the mount are rounded and show minor rubbing consistent with age and handling.
Reverse: No verso scan available.
Keywords: Franco-Prussian War, Gravelotte, battlefield graves, albumen stereoview, E. Linde
Photographer Biography:
E. Linde & Co. (also styled E. Linde's Photographisches Depôt) was a stereoview publishing firm based in Berlin, active from roughly the late 1860s into the mid-1870s.
The firm issued view series such as 'Ansichten von Deutschland,' documenting cities, monuments, and landmarks across the German states.
Following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, it also published a series of stereoviews under the title 'Kriegsschauplatz 1870,' depicting battlefield sites in eastern France.
No further biographical details on the individual proprietor of the firm have been verified.
Shipping Information: Shipping (worldwide): EUR 12 (registered). Shipping to the USA at risk of the buyer.