U.S. More than 120 Years Ago

Once upon a time in America: First color postcards of the 'New World' showcase life in the U.S. more than 120 years ago

• A collection of the first color photographs taken of the New World have been compiled in a new book entitled An American Odyssey
• The images dates back to the late 19th century and early 20th century and made into postcards celebrating cities, landscapes and everyday life across the country
• Many of the images were produced using a photochrom process, taking black and white negatives and filling them with color by transferring them onto lithographic printing stones
• The process predated the autochrome by nearly 20 years and offered people the very first color photographs of The United States

By David Mccormack and Sarah Gordon

Published: 00:15 GMT, 25 June 2014 | Updated: 00:53 GMT, 25 June 2014

These postcards are the first color photographs taken of the New World, capturing the majesty of the American landscape, from buzzing city scenes to the dramatic vista of the Grand Canyon.

Dating back to the late 19th century and early 20th century – and now compiled in a book entitled An American Odyssey – they show the people and places of the New World, documenting Native Americans, African Americans, immigrants, cowboys and gold rushers.

The photographs were taken between 1888 and 1924 and were made into postcards celebrating cities, landscapes and everyday life across the country.

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Images such as this of Zuni Pueblo Indians carrying out a Rain Dance in New Mexico were produced using a photochrom process

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Sunset from the Battery, New York: These postcards, dating back to the late 19th century and early 20th century and collected in a new book entitled An American Odyssey, show the people and places of the New World

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Homestake Mine, South Dakota: These particular images were produced by the Detroit Photographic Company at the turn of the century

Many of the images were produced using a photochrom process, taking black and white negatives and filling them with color by transferring them onto lithographic printing stones.

Another process used was photostint, a way of tinting black and white and sepia images which was used by companies - including what was then known as the London Daily Mail - to print color postcards of important events, such as scenes from the First World War. 

 

These processes predated the autochrome by nearly 20 years and offered people the very first color photographs of The United States.

Suddenly, the continent's colors were available for all to see. The rich ochres and browns of the Grand Canyon, the dazzle of Atlantic City, became a visual delight not only for eyewitnesses, but for Americans far and wide.

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The Big Apple: Mulberry Street, the main thoroughfare in Manhattan, is brought to life with the photochrom process, showing the varying ethnicity of New Yorkers and a glimpse at their everyday lives

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A Mississippi landing, Vicksburg: The colorful photochroms started out as glass negatives such as this

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Laundry day: This unusual picture shows a Monday in New York City, when the streets were filled with clean washing being aired among the buildings

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Feats of engineering: The Gerogetown Loop over Clear Creek Canyon in Colorado was hugely important to the nearby gold and silver mines at the start of the 20th century

These spectacular postcards are from a private collection amassed by graphic designer, photographer, and collector Marc Walter. He specializes in vintage travelphotographs and has one of the world's largest collections.

These particular images were produced by the Detroit Photographic Company at the turn of the century, combining landscapes with human interest images for city dwellers, immigrants and even gold rushers and the last Wild West cowboys.

The 612-page hardback book, published by Taschen, is a celebration of America and is considered a journey through its later 19th and early 20th-century landscapes.

Photos include a busy city scene on Mulberry Street in New York, while another contrasts dramatically, capturing the rural life of a Seminole Indian family sailing in their dugout canoes in Florida.

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Rainbow effect: The Grand Canyon is shown in all its glory with greens, rich reds and purples depicted by the photochrom technique

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'Three Graces', Yosemite National Park, California, left. The 612-page hardback book, published byTaschen, is a celebration of America and is considered a journey through its later 19th and early 20th-century landscapes, right

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On track: Transport is a dominant theme throughout the images, showing America at the cutting edge of technology

Magnolia Plantation, on the Ashely River in Charleston, is brought to life with the application of color to the image, while the Grand Canyon is also shown shimmering with color.

Transport is also a leading theme in the postcards, featuring spectacular train journeys crossing Clear Creek Canyon, on Georgetown Loop in Colorado and the Mount Lowe Railway, on the circular bridge in California.

Tourists can still ride on the Georgetown Loop railways, experiencing what life was like during the gold rush era, when everyone was trying to make their fortune.

And spectacular National Parks such as the Grand Canyon still draw crowds, with millions of visitors every year.

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Traditions: Members of the Seminole Tribe in Florida - whose history dates back to the early 1500s - are depicted in the dugout canoes in their elegant dress

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Gold rush town: A glorious panorama shows the Californian city of San Francisco when it was still a relatively small settlement

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Southern life: A magnolia plantation is shown in bloom on the edge of the Ashley River in Charleston with a local woman stood looking out over the water

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These spectacular postcards are from a private collection amassed by graphic designer, photographer, and collector Marc Walter. He specializes in vintage travel photographs and has one of the world's largest collections