The view shows the town of Pont-à-Mousson in Lorraine, seen across the Moselle River, with the multi-arched stone road bridge spanning the water and the twin towers of a Gothic church rising above the rooflines. A single figure poling a small boat is visible on the river, and the townscape, bridge, and towers are mirrored in the still water below. The mount, printed in orange-red card stock, carries the captions 'Kriegsschauplatz 1870' (theatre of war 1870) and 'PONT A MOUSSON' at the lower border, together with a vertical publisher's imprint along the left margin.
The printed imprint identifies the sheet as issued through E. Linde's photographic depot in Berlin, a firm that distributed stereoview series of German and topical subjects during the 1870s. The 'Kriegsschauplatz 1870' caption places the image within a commercially issued series documenting sites associated with the Franco-Prussian War, consistent with the fact that the town was the scene of military activity in 1870.
Photographer/publisher: E. Linde's Photogr. Depot, Berlin
Period/date: circa 1870
Dimensions: 175 x 85 mm
Condition: Good; the orange-red mount shows overall toning and scattered light foxing, with a small chip to the upper edge and light surface soiling along the borders. The photographic prints show even sepia toning consistent with age, with faint fading in the upper sky area of the left image; the card remains structurally stable with no separation between the print and mount.
Reverse: No verso scan available.
Keywords: France, Franco-Prussian War, stereoview, Pont-à-Mousson, E. Linde
Photographer Biography:
E. Linde & Co. operated as a photographic publishing and distribution firm based in Berlin, active chiefly in the 1870s and 1880s.
The firm issued and sold stereoview series covering German cities and views, as well as topical series tied to contemporary events such as the Franco-Prussian War.
It functioned primarily as a publisher and depot for photographic views rather than as the originating photographer of any single image.
The identity of the photographer who produced this particular negative is not recorded on the mount and remains unknown.
Shipping Information: Shipping (worldwide): EUR 12 (registered). Shipping to the USA at risk of the buyer.