History
What were stickyback portraits before the modern photobooth?
Stickyback studios sold small repeated portraits before the Photomaton, though a photographer still made the exposure and prints.
The Hungarian National Archives connects Josepho’s family history with Budapest’s early twentieth-century Stickyback trade. A repeating-back camera could place several small portraits on a larger plate; studios then prepared copies for customers to collect.
The resemblance to a photo strip can mislead
The resemblance to a photo strip can mislead. Stickyback portraits were small repeated images, but they were not necessarily an automated pay-and-process service. The later Photomaton combined capture and processing inside a machine so a sitter could initiate the sequence themselves.
Evidence: Archival research
This distinction separates visual format from production method
This distinction separates visual format from production method. Affordable multi-image portraiture existed before a modern booth could automate the experience; commercial practices, equipment and family networks contributed to that history too.
Evidence: Archival research
Repeated small portraits could come from a staffed studio workflow
Repeated small portraits could come from a staffed studio workflow. Describe the format separately from its production setting; visual resemblance to a strip is not proof of machine automation. When cataloguing an example, note any studio name or address on the mount and whether the repeated images appear on one plate; those physical clues say more about production than appearance alone.
Evidence: Archival research
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.
- National Archives of Hungary — Anatol Josepho and PhotomatonArchival research