The logo on the back of this real photographic postcard tells us that it was produced by ‘Van Ralty’, with studios in ‘Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Oldham, Bolton, &c. &c.’. The family portrait on the front comprises a girl, her mother and her soldier–father. His clearly visible cap badge and ‘RE’ shoulder title tell us that he has enlisted in the Royal Engineers, and probably relatively recently, given the apparently pristine appearance of his uniform. || A real photographic postcard || || A photograph of a British soldier serving in the Royal Engineers and his family || Photograph

A photographic portrait of a British family of three. || The family pictured on the front of this postcard comprises a small girl flanked by her soldier–father and her mother. The brass shoulder title on her father’s right shoulder appears to bear the initials ‘RGA’ (which stands for the Royal Garrison Artillery), and he wears a white lanyard. Printed on the reverse of the postcard is the name and address of the photographer: ‘Lilian Ream, M.P.P.A., Wisbech & Long Sutton’ (Wisbech is in Cambridgeshire, while Long Sutton is in Lincolnshire). The stamp box is marked ‘K Ltd / STAMP HERE’.

This larger-than-postcard-sized photograph has been glued to the centre of a brown-toned cardboard mount (cropped out here) bearing the details of the photographic studio that produced it: ‘USA STUDIOS’, ‘London W & Provincial Branches’. The solemn-looking family pictured comprises two young girls, dressed alike in white, with ribbons in their hair, their mother and their soldier–father. || A photograph || || Photograph || A photograph of a British soldier and his family