[ ref. Craig Smith in 170115 MMDigest ]

Hi Craig,  Your musical photo album sounds most interesting.
Though I haven't been able to positively identify the images,
I would certainly like to try to help identify them.

Are the pictures regular carte-de-visite size (approx. 2-1/2"
by 4")?  The carte-de-visite size photos, the kind generally found in
photo albums, were not produced until the late 1850s.  In Vienna the
photographer L. Angerer of that city introduced and popularised the
format.  He received medals for his work in London (1862), Berlin in
1865 and Paris (1867).  Certainly the gentleman at far left is Emporer
Wihelm I, who died in March 1888.  Are there any details of the
photographer on the reverse of the images?  That might well help.

We have recently published an article on musical photograph albums
in Mechanical Music World (journal of the Association of Musical Box
Collectors in UK) which included a fine, heavily carved, wood front
photo album.  It has several pictures identified in pencil as members
of the Prussian court, though I am not certain the images currently
present are necessarily the originals.  There is one identified as
Baron von Knesebeck who resembles the gentleman on the right of your
attachment, but I wouldn't like to say it is definite.

We would be very interested in including your album in a future
article, if you would allow it.  If you would consider it, please
email me off-forum.

Thank you in anticipation.

David Evans
Editor, Mechanical Music World
Association of Musical Box Collectors in UK