Max Fruchtermann (1852–1918) was an early publisher of Ottoman Empire postcards. He was born in 1852 in Kalucz on the eastern border of Austria-Hungary. In 1867, he moved to Constantinople (Istanbul) and began to produce postcards in 1895. Because of the vogue for “Orientalism,” Fruchtermann’s cards became very popular. His early postcards were hand-colored, but he began to produce color cards in 1897 that were printed by Emil Pinkau. Later postcard series were printed by Fingerle Freudenberg in Rehydt. In addition to his view-cards, he produced a large series of figure studies in native costumes. The disruption of the First World War caused his bankruptcy. After his death, his son, Paul, continued to run his postcard shop until 1966 when the entire remaining inventory was sold off.
Resources
Mert Sandalci, The Postcards of Max Fruchtermann 3 vols. (Istanbul: Koçbank, 2000).