Two children in Vienna
By: usermattw
Tags: antiques, photography, Vienna, vintage photography
Click here to view it larger.
I was attracted to this image for what I initially took to be an unusually realistic studio setting. But then I noticed that the address includes “im Garten”, which means “in the garden”, so maybe this is outdoors after all. It’s a cabinet card measuring 4 x 6.5 inches. I’m struggling to figure out who the photographer is, since I can’t quite make out the old-timey font. Heinrich somebody-or-other, apparently working out of the studio of A. M. Baschta. I’m sure Heinrich’s last name will seem obvious once I’ve figured it out. Anton Baschta was apparently a successful photographer for several decades, at different addresses in Vienna, turning over the operations to a Michael Baschta (his son?) around 1900. I’ve found examples of the work of both Anton and Michael online, but I can’t find this Heinrich fellow. If you’d like to give it a try, here is the artist’s graphic on the back (click to enlarge). Interestingly, the graphic only fills the upper left quarter of the back of the card, as if it were designed to also fit a CDV.
Pics of Then 
I can’t figure out the name, either. It seems to end in “ling,” but I’m not even sure of that.
I like the way the children are posed, especially the girl, with her right foot forward, as if she was moving and just paused for a moment.
Glad you like it. And I’m glad it’s not just me who is stumped by the name. It looks like “Tlling”, but that doesn’t make sense. When I google the address, various samples and information about the Baschtas come up, but nothing about this Heinrich. Of course, since most of what I’m finding is in German, maybe I’m somehow not searching correctly.
wow, I just love this script, except that the name is hard to read! Could it be a middle initial, like Heinrich T. Pling? (Autocorrect really wants to make that “Bling,” ha ha.) I didn’t find anything by searching for that, though.
Isn’t it beautiful? I did wonder if that middle letter was a middle initial, rather than part of his last name, but it seemed odd to me that it would be larger than the others if that’s the case, and it still didn’t help me read it any better.
I have a new name clue (though not an answer). I came across a post online about some vintage dye packaging, and the Dutch name has a use of “t” that was unfamiliar to me. Could there be some Dutch thing like this going on with Heinrich’s last name? https://data.collectienederland.nl/page/aggregation/streekmuseumkrimpenerwaard/060.0282
Oh, thanks for the idea. That’s an interesting possibility.