Blog Post
Fast Fact Friday: Who was Maria Tesch?
Tracey Dougherty • March 22, 2024
Fast Fact Friday returns with a look at 1800s Sweden
I haven't posted for Fast Fact Friday in a long time, but while researching the origins of these antique cartes de visite this week, I learned about a fascinating early photographer and had to share! Cartes de visite are small photographs mounted on heavy card stock that were used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as calling cards -- comparable to the business cards of today but for social purposes. The backs often featured the name and address of the photographer. I'm always curious about the items I buy for my vintage shop and try to learn as much about them as I can before I post them on Etsy. I noticed the photographer's name at the bottom of the photos. So I turned over the portrait of the couple. Nothing but the name of the woman in the photo, an ancestor of the person from whom I bought the photos. I checked the back of the portrait of the girl. Nothing. Then I turned over the photo in the center and found the most gorgeous business card for Maria Tesch's portrait studio. Don't you love the typography?
I learned that Ms. Tesch was a pioneering and prolific Swedish photographer in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Her work and equipment can still be seen in Swedish museums today. Impressive enough. But there's more. She got her start in business in 1873 at the age of 23 when she left her hometown of Eksjo, Sweden, and moved to Linkoping TO OPEN HER OWN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO. A 23-year-old woman. In 1873. When photography as a profession was still relatively new. She had been working as a photographer since she was 16 (1866!). It's estimated that she took tens of thousands of portraits. She also invested in real estate and was suspected to be quite wealthy. She died a millionaire, leaving her wealth to various charities.
One thing I noticed about her photos was that while most people in early photographs look quite grim, her subjects do not. It turns out that she had a special technique. Before she took their photograph she would tell her subjects to “look happy – think of those who will see it," which made them smile. Much more effective than, "Say 'Cheese!' "don't you think?
About the author: Tracey fell in love with old children's books when she was nine, and that was that. Her shop, Rhyme and Reason Books, sells vintage children's books and ephemera on Etsy for collectors, crafters, and decorators. As a writer, literacy instructor, and library volunteer, she donates a portion of every sale to children's literacy initiatives to foster the next generation of readers.
I haven't posted for Fast Fact Friday in a long time, but while researching the origins of these antique cartes de visite this week, I learned about a fascinating early photographer and had to share! Cartes de visite are small photographs mounted on heavy card stock that were used in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as calling cards -- comparable to the business cards of today but for social purposes. The backs often featured the name and address of the photographer. I'm always curious about the items I buy for my vintage shop and try to learn as much about them as I can before I post them on Etsy. I noticed the photographer's name at the bottom of the photos. So I turned over the portrait of the couple. Nothing but the name of the woman in the photo, an ancestor of the person from whom I bought the photos. I checked the back of the portrait of the girl. Nothing. Then I turned over the photo in the center and found the most gorgeous business card for Maria Tesch's portrait studio. Don't you love the typography?
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