The beach at Portobello.
Image: Library of Congress
These postcards of Scotland at the end of the 19th century were produced by the Detroit Publishing Company using the Photochrom process, a technique for applying vibrant and surprisingly realistic color to black and white images.
The process, invented in the 1880s by an employee of a Swiss printing company, involves coating lithographic limestone tablets with a light sensitive emulsion and exposing them to light under a photo negative.
For each tint to be used in the final color composite, an additional litho stone is created.
The process was extremely time-consuming and required painstaking attention to detail, but the result was color postcards which captured the cities, moors, and ruined castles of Scotland with an impressive degree of verisimilitude, particularly at a time when true color photography was just being developed.
Farmers bring their cattle to the market town of Dumfries.
Image: Library of Congress
Highland cattle.
Image: Library of Congress
Lincluden Abbey, Dumfries.
Image: Library of Congress
High Street in Dumfries.
Image: Library of Congress
Caerlaverock Castle, first built in the 13th century.
Image: Library of Congress
The pier at Dumfries.
Image: Library of Congress
Edinburgh.
Image: Library of Congress
The town of Dunoon.
Image: Library of Congress
Glasgow University.
Image: Library of Congress
The island of Ailsa Craig, where the rare granite used to make most of the world's curling stones is mined.
Image: Library of Congress
The esplanade at Helensburgh.
Image: Library of Congress
Inveraray Castle, on the shores of Loch Fyne.
Image: Library of Congress
A river near Kirkcudbright.
Image: Library of Congress
The coastline near Macduff.
Image: Library of Congress
The 12th century Dunskey Castle near the village of Portpatrick.
Image: Library of Congress
The harbor at Rothesay.
Image: Library of Congress
Linn of Muick, a waterfall on the river Muick in Aberdeenshire.
Image: Library of Congress
The town of Stirling, as seen from Abbey Craig.
Image: Library of Congress
Medieval Dunnottar Castle, near Stonehaven.
Image: Library of Congress
15th-century Carrick Castle on Loch Goil.
Image: Library of Congress
14th-century Threave Castle, near the town of Castle Douglas.
Image: Library of Congress
Wallace Monument on Abbey Craig near Stirling, a monument to Sir William Wallace.
Image: library of Congress
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