[PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIC TRAINS, RAILWAY WORKER, GROUP PHOTO]
On offer here is an ORIGINAL CABINET PHOTO OF THE CONDUCTORS & ELECTRIC RAILWAY WORKERS (roughly 200 people) IN THE CITY OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA ABOUT 1897. Vienna had one of the earliest Electric Public Train systems in the world and we believe this image was taken to memorialize the early group of workers about the time it began. The photograph measures 12.25 in x 18.25 in and is in very good condition save for some light stains and a corner chip to the upper right hand edge of the image. The albumen image is mounted to card stock.
Two clues indicate this is in fact the city of Vienna's system. First, the 'Bahnhof Vorgartenstrasse' (on the building behind the uniformed workers) is the old name for the Vienna 'U-Bahn'. Secondly, the electric rail car on the right side of the image has several readable names one of which is 'FJ Bahn' which indicates the 'Franz Josef Railway' route which was opened (we believe) as a conventional railway system in 1884. Likely by the time Siemens introduced their electric system in 1897, it would have been operated perhaps as an electrical route.
We could not find this same image elsewhere online or in printed references.
Please email any questions -