UNDATED – A Carte de Visite shows Willy Staps in a photo studio in Weissenfels, Germany. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: Conrad Lucke, Weissenfels
The story behind the image
I found this photo in a lot that I recently acquired – The Roesler Lot. Apparently, the gentleman is Willy Staps, and I don’t know him. We’re not related at all. I estimate his age to be around 20 years.
So why the photo then? Quite simply, because I like historic photos. I am attracted by the imagination how and why someone went to a photo studio back then. It was not for official reasons (like getting a passport) so it could only be done for private reasons.
Questions come up: Was the photo a gift for the parents? For a lover? The back of the Carte de Visite shows handwritten comments from different people.
Firstly, there is the autograph of Willy Staps, written with fine black ink. It is likely that Willy wanted the recipient of the photo to remember his name. This supports the theory of a lover, but the typical personal note was missing, so we can only assume here.
Secondly, there is further genealogical data:
- Nephew of grandpa Rößler
- His mother was the sister
- Born 20.06.1890 in Weissenfels
- Married to Frieda Stürze
Sadly, I could not verify the information and therefor could not link it to the Roesler family. Grandpa Rößler had four sisters, and digging up their records would be difficult and time-consuming. So, I happily provide the image and information to researchers interested in these names and places.
Photographer Conrad Lucke operated his studio from 1900 to approximately 1925, so the photo might have been taken in or around 1910.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1910 |
| Photographer | Conrad Lucke, Weissenfels |
| Location | Weissenfels, Germany |
| Image Source | 4.6 x 10.4 cm CdV |
| 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 | 4340 x 9697 Pixels |
| Copyright | © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: Conrad Lucke |
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