Otto Schweim (1894-1956)

An undated portrait of Otto Christian Theodor Schweim (1894-1956), taken in Kiel in Germany, probably around 1901. Photo by Studio Billström/Kiel, Scan © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com

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The story behind the image

This historic photo shows my grandfather, Otto Schweim.

Otto was born in Kiel in Germany in 1894 when the military harbour was growing quickly. No wonder he showed an early interest in the navy, and I can imagine him standing with his parents at the war harbour of Kiel, watching the ships go by and dreaming of becoming a sailor.

This portrait shows him at the age of six or seven years in a navy uniform with a toy gun. The CdV (Carte de Visite) was taken at the Billström photo studio in Kiel, one of the early photographers in Kiel. Like most photographers at that time, Billström was popular and very busy. You will find countless CdV prints by Billström on eBay today.

Otto’s genuine military career began when he joined the naval forces in January 1915 as an officer at the age of 20.

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The high resolution image

Capture Date	about 1901
Location	Kiel, Germany
Image Source	6 x 10 cm black & white 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	2736 x 4104 Pixels
Copyright	Photo by Studio Billström/Kiel, Scan © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com