Portrait Photographers and Picture Postcard Makers
of the Jewish Ukraine

A Visual Database

By Deborah G. Glassman, copyright 2005

When you look at a photograph taken in the Russian Empire, what can it tell you about your ancestors? If you know who took the picture, what does it tell you? If you can determine what type of photograph it is by its medium, or its composition, what does that tell you? When you search for original postcards of the synagogues and places of cultural pride likely to appear in vignettes of the 1890s to 1920s, what will you find and where should you look?

Normally, when one writes an article, the author has all his/her facts in hand before beginning the composition. But this is the first posting in a new database collection site. In a while, I will come back to you with my initial findings on what was published where and when and how you can look for clues inside the pictures. But first we need the data.

Everybody who has a picture taken in the Russian Empire, please turn it over and scan both the front and back and send it to me for posting here or elsewhere on the Ukraine SIG. Don't forget to fill in the Donor Form UKRAINE SIG DONOR FORM. Include with the picture, as much information as you can about the person pictured and when you think it was taken if you know and where, again if you know. The first part of this project will be to build a chronological collection organized by the location of the studio. As we add more pages of these images we can build our knowledge about the time period of the work of different photographers. Pictures that are not datable today, may be so shortly, please help!

Each of the Photos below shows the name of their photographer or the studio in which taken. They are alphabetical by Town in which Studio is located and chronologically in the town. They will be moved around regularly as new listings are added. So check back frequently.