Vintage photographic postcard of a sportsman – K. Martinovský studio

Product detailed description

Condition: traces of time

Dimension: 8.7 cm x 13.8 cm

A studio portrait of an athlete from the First Republic era! A vintage black and white real-photo postcard of a muscular man in a white athletic vest with dark trim, typical of wrestlers, weightlifters and athletes of the interwar years. The portrait comes from the K. Martinovský studio, Praha-Vysočany, whose blind stamp appears bottom right, and is printed on Aktinosa photo paper. The reverse bears period pencil notes with names, apparently including Klefner. An authentic record of Prague sporting life when strength sports were hugely popular.

Facts at a glance

• Item: black and white real-photo postcard, studio portrait, unused
• View: man in a white athletic vest with dark trim, half-length
• Studio: K. Martinovský, Praha-Vysočany (blind stamp on the front)
• Photo paper: Aktinosa (marked on the reverse)
• Reverse: pencil notes with names (uncertain reading, including Klefner)
• Date: probably 1920s–1930s (based on paper and style)

Expert note – FAQ

Why did athletes have studio portraits taken in the interwar years?
Studio portraits of athletes in interwar Czechoslovakia were often made as real-photo postcards, which athletes ordered for friends, fans or clubs. A white vest was the typical outfit for wrestlers, weightlifters and athletes. Such photos now document the early days of modern sport.

How can an old real-photo postcard be dated?
A real-photo postcard can be dated by its photo paper and studio. The Aktinosa mark on the reverse refers to a photographic paper used in Czechoslovakia mainly in the interwar period. The photographer’s blind stamp, here K. Martinovský, Praha-Vysočany, also identifies where the picture was taken.

How can I find out who is in an old sports photo?
Notes on the reverse, the studio stamp and comparison with period photos in newspapers, yearbooks and club chronicles help identify an unknown athlete. For Prague wrestlers and weightlifters, club archives and sports magazines from the 1920s and 1930s are useful sources.