An undated CdV photo shows a studio portrait of sailor Hans Köhler in his uniform in Kiel, Germany. Photo: Johannes Petersen, Kiel
The story behind the image
This undated portrait photo shows the sailor Hans Köhler in Kiel, Germany.
While I don’t know Mr. Köhler or his background, it is one of those images that triggered further research. Maybe it’s because the photo was taken in a studio in my hometown, maybe it’s because he was a sailor in Kiel, just like my grandfather? I don’t know.
The imprint at the bottom of the cardboard says: “Johs. Petersen, Kiel / Ecke Markt und Dänischestr.” This is a good indicator of its creation date. Johannes Petersen, the photographer, first appears in the Kiel adress books in 1909, but in Brunswiker Straße 26 – which is not anywhere near to the Dänische Straße. A year later, however, a “Petersen J.” is mentioned at the adress Klosterkirchhof 1 which is just a few steps away from Dänische Straße and might have been located at the corner where Dänische Straße met the Markt. The studio stays here at least until 1915. A few years later, in 1919, it is listed in Dänische Straße 35 which stays until 1927 at least. In 1934, Johannes Petersen is listed as a photographer (but not as a studio) in Dänsiche Str. 14/16. Petersen was a Kiel native (born in 1881) and died here in 1969.
This is a long, slim Carte de Visite (CdV) photo print, which measures 5 x 11.8 cm. It is perfectly suited for images that show about 3/4 of the body instead of just the upper body. This format was getting popular from 1905 and was in use until the early 1920s when it was replaced by the less sturdy (but larger) photo prints we know today.
Looking at Mr. Köhler, he wears his uniform with innocent pride, so I guess the image had been shot before World War I, or in its early days. His cap band says Matrosendivision I which were the sailors who would staff the ships when a war would break out.
I’d estimate the photo to have been captured between 1911 and 1915.
The photo print itself is in pretty good condition by the way. I guess it has been most of the time in an album, but some scratches and marks can be seen. It’s easy to envision how a relative, or a close friend, might have pulled the image from the album every now and then to inspect it closer, wondering where he might be or what has happened to him.
In any case, I hope Hans Köhler did not get hurt in the First World War. On the back of the photo there is a handwritten note: As a friendly reminder on Ob. Mtr. Hans Köhler.
So, let’s remember this sailor. May he rest in peace.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1911 |
| Photographer | Johannes Petersen |
| Location | Kiel, Germany |
| Image Source | c. 4.7 x 10.5 cm print mounted on cardboard |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 4304 x 9913 Pixels |
| Copyright | © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: Johannes Petersen |
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