Early Photography in the Habsburg Empire and Austria-Hungary

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About Early Photography in the Habsburg Empire and Austria-Hungary

This group focuses on antique photographs taken in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its predecessor, the Habsburg Empire.

As such, it covers a large period of time (from the expansion of photography in Central Europe in the 1840s right to the end of the dual monarchy and the creation of the new states in 1918/19) and a considerable territory (from Galitia to northern Italy).

There are already many early photo groups on Flickr. Why create one for this multi-ethnic empire that was Austria-Hungary? There are some regional groups focused on regions that once were part of the Empire (Hungary, for example), and then, there are the big all-in-a-pot ones. Austria-Hungary housed great ethnical, linguistic and religious diversity, but it also shared many trends and a common cultural horizon - and photography can sometimes speak very directly about what was shared and what was thought important for local and regional identities. And, as every novelty, it had to develop its own language that could combine international fashion and tradition.

I invite you all to explore through photographs and small histories the complex landscape of one of the weirdest and most fascinating empires Europe has ever seen.

A note regarding WWI items: all photos taken by Austro-Hungarian amateur or professional photographers in occupied territories (territories of the Russian Empire, Serbia, Romania etc.) are fully adequate to the group, as they reflect an Austro-Hungarian perspective and photographic tradition.

Please consider visiting our twin groups:
- Early Photography in Germany
- Early Photography in Romania
- Early Photography in the USA.
- Early Photography in the British Empire
- Early Photography in France

Some general rules

1. This group hosts only scans of original photographs, made and posted by (or with the consent of) their owners. No book scans or unauthorised copies are permitted.

2. It is strictly forbidden to distribute or use the items added by members without their explicit consent, when the items are licensed under full copyright (All rights reserved).

3. English will be maintained as the main language of this group, in order to facilitate discussions with early photography enthusiasts all around the world.

4. Xenophobic or racist content will not be tolerated on this group. Comments regarding the radical ideologies of the Pre-WWI or Interbellum era are expected to be made only from a historical and detached point of view. This is a group for curious people that has nothing to do with any Central-European/Balkanic nationalism whatsoever, so please spare us of historical vendettas and contemporary K.u.K. fantasies. Failure to observe this rule will result in immediate banning.