Rapid photographs

Between 1912 and 1930, anyone could have their portrait taken at the many so-called rapid photography studios in the shopping streets of mainly (medium) large-size European cities. As if on an assembly line, the youngest clerk shot the photographs with a special camera and in artificial light and developed them. Later in the day, the customer collected a sheet with 12 portrait photos for 25 cents. This form of photographic mass production gave rise to a fascinating tableau of boys, girls, men and women not previously seen in photographs; candid and informal. There were at least 150 quick-photo studios, from Alkmaar to Zutphen. Many called themselves ‘American,’ mistakenly as it turns out because hardly any examples from that country have been found.