Illustrated business card depicting tiny embossed orange vignettes of an owl, lion, bird and instruments within an oval formed by a single orange line. Rau served as the official photographer for the Pennsylvania Railroad beginning in 1891 and the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1895. Rau, a professional Philadelphia photographer, began his career as assistant to Philadelphia photographer William Bell; served as the primary photographer of E.L. Wilson's Middle East photographic expedition (1881-1882); and was sole proprietor of a prolific photographic studio that issued lantern slides, stereographs, and photographs between 1887 and 1920. He was also official photographer of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904, a director of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia, a president of the Pennsylvania Photographic Society, and a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Natural Sciences., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Digitized.
Date
[ca. 1910]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department trade card - Rau [P.9548.7]
Advertising postcard showing an interior view of the salesroom of William Rau's photographic studio at 238-244 South Camac Street. Salesroom features framed photographs showing a variety of Rau's work including two views from his Pennsylvania Railroad commission "On the Conemaugh" and "Washington's Crossing, above Trenton" ; a large cabinet probably containing stereoviews; two card files; and other office furniture. Two albums, one containing photographs of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, are displayed on the cabinet top. Verso contains advertising text describing types of work undertaken by the studio including residential, institutional and commercial views; portraits; printing, copying and enlargements; and color photography "direct from Nature." Also promotes the sale of lantern slide views., Photographer's imprint inscribed in negative., Negative number: 28718., Digitized with funding from a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
Rau, William Herman, 1855-1920, photographer
Date
1910
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Businesses - Rau [P.9981.6]
