We will be travelling through Cumberland, Maine by way of postcards from the artifact collection of the Cumberland Historical Society. These are called “real photo” postcards, popular in the early 1900s. There was a special camera designed to take the pictures. It included a stylus with which you could write on the camera’s plate to describe what you were photographing.

The autographic system for roll film was launched by Kodak in 1914, and allowed the photographer to add written information on the film at the time of exposure. The system was patented by Henry Jacques Gaisman, inventor and safety razor manufacturer. George Eastman purchased the rights for US $300,000. It consisted of a tissue-like carbon paper sandwiched between the film and the paper backing. Text was entered using a metal stylus, and would appear in the margin of the processed print. The system was never very popular, and was discontinued in 1932.