Real Photo Postcard. Russia, postal stamps removed. Date unknown.

Price:  $20.00

A rare find…..

We don’t come across many old postcards of photographers’ business locations in North America, and I’m guessing it’s probably the same situation for Russian cards. The lettering for the photography business is very stylized, gorgeous really, with that 3-D effect and “snow-covered” look, as well. Someone had put some thought behind it.

The sign on top of the building, ФОТОГРАФІЯ translates as Photography. And underneath is the name В. Т. КОКШАРОВА which, in English, is V. T. Koksharova. Underneath this name, at street level and in the glass-covered box, the photographer has displayed some examples of his work.

The reverse, help us out here please! anyone who can identify this language and can read it. The script is too much to try to decipher without having any background knowledge to draw from. Likewise, I won’t pretend to be a student of Russian architecture, but it seems obvious we’ve got some different styles, and it looks like the upper glass-walled portion was built on later. Great details in the intricately carved  wooden railing or roof topping – likely there is a proper term for that. And just thinking….maybe this was the man’s home on our right, with those beautiful lace curtains showing, and then studio attached.