The End Part 1

Blog Post #5

There has been much discussion about the beginning of the hand colored photography movement and David Davidsons part in it. Little has been discussed about the end of that era. What was David Davidson Studios involved in during the 1940’s? These were the declining years of hand colored photography.

The Arts and Crafts movement had been the main influence at the turn of the century. It was a simpler time, led by furniture designer Gustov Stickley and the hand colored photography movement led by Wallace Nutting, David Davidson, Charles Sawyer and Fred Thompson. These photographers’ pictures of meandering dirt roads lined with stone walls and apple trees, captured that sentimental longing for the past that our country yearned for in the 1940’s. But, nothing ever stays the same. Our world was headed towards paved highways, more and faster cars, supermarkets, and the Baby Boomer Generation. So that era, reflecting a simpler time, that survived 2 world wars, the depression, the dust bowl that decimated the heart of our country and Polio, fell simply to progress and one small invention; Color Photography.

David Davidson Studio’s decline started in the 1940’s. To be more accurate, probably at the end of WWII. Davidson did his best to adjust. He called them Facsimile Prints. These were machine produced, colored prints that Davidson marketed of some of his more popular exterior hand colored photos.

Diadem Aisle, Hearts Desire, Sunset Point were the most popular Facsimile prints.

Full Color Facsimile labels were put on the back of these prints to distinguish them from the hand colored photos.

The End Part 2 ?? A story for another day…