The Art Nouveau (Platino) Stereograph C.H. Graves, Publishers, Phila. USA
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The Universal Photo Art Company was one of several business titles under which photographer Carlton Harlow Graves sold his photographs late in his career. He was the son of Jesse Albert Graves, an important early worker who was based in the Delaware Water Gap area of Pennsylvania in the 1860-1880 time frame and produced some 500 generally fine scenic views of the western part of the state. Carlton learned the photographic art from his father and moved to Philadelphia to began producing on his own in about 1880. In his early years, he seems to have taken all the views which he published, but he soon began to buy or pirate images from others. Stereoviews issued under his own name are extremely rare.
At its peak, The Universal Photo Art Company seems to have been a rather substantial outfit. In addition to the headquarters offices and production facilities in Philadelphia, there was a western branch in Naperville, Ill., under F. A. Messerschmidt as general manager. |
There are numbers listed to almost to 5,000, although the number of individual photos actually used is only about 1,300. By the late 1890’s, C. H. Graves company became a major publisher offering "Art Nouveau Stereographs" on light gray curved mounts. His trade list offered excellent views of hunting scenes, Jamaica, Japan, Java, New York City, Palestine and others. To compete with low priced lithographs and copies, Graves offered his "Universal Series" or "Universal Views" on black mounts with no credit to himself. These have the number and the title in the negative and were sold at a reduced price from the regular "Art Nouveau" issues. Graves also offered boxed sets but they were not sold in the quantities of Underwood and Underwood, the Keystone View Company and H. C. White. The company seems to have been active until about 1910 when its stock of negatives were sold to Underwood & Underwood and presumably went from there to the Keystone View Company with the rest of the Underwood photos.
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Kilde HER.
Danmark - Denmark - Kalundborg - Helsingør
The Art Nouveau (Platino) Stereograph. C.H. Graves, Publisher, Phila, USA. Universal Photo Art Co. Philadelphia, Naperville, Ill.. Foto: Lodshus ved havnen i Kallundborg, copyright 1907 by F.A. Messerschmidt. Samling avk.
Gade i Kalundborg. The Art Nouveau (Platino) Stereograph. C.H. Graves, Publisher, Phila, USA. Universal Photo Art Co. Philadelphia, Naperville, Ill.. Foto: Kallundborg, copyright 1907 by F.A. Messerschmidt. Samling avk
The Art Nouveau (Platino) Stereograph. C.H. Graves, Publisher, Phila, USA. Universal Photo Art Co. Philadelphia, Naperville, Ill.. Foto: Fisher folk. Kallundborg, Denmark/ copyright 1907 by F.A. Messerschmidt.
"Universal Photoi Art": Færgen mellem, Helsingør og Helsingborg, og Helsingørs fine jernbanestation i baggrunden. Transport ferry from Helsingborg, Sweden to Helsingor, Denmark Copyright 1907 F.A. Messerschmidt.
The Art Nouveau (Platino) Stereograph. C.H. Graves, Publisher, Phila, USA. Universal Photo Art Co. Philadelphia, Naperville, Ill.. Foto: Skibsvarft og dry docks in (Helsingfors( Helsingør, Denmark/ copyright 1907 by F.A. Messerschmidt.