Join the Community
How to Contribute
This archive grows through the people who share their photographs, memories, and knowledge. Every contribution — a name, a date, a story — helps reconnect families with their history.
Create an Account
Click "Sign In" in the navigation bar and enter your email. We'll send you a secure link — no password needed. Your account lets you submit photos, share stories, and receive notifications when someone recognizes a face in your photographs.
Share What You Know
Browse the archive and click on any photograph. If you recognize someone — a family resemblance, a name you know, a story you've heard — share it. Click "Identify a Person" to name someone, or use the story form to add context. Even uncertain identifications help.
Submit Your Photographs
Have a Kornweiss print, or a family photograph from the Lower East Side? Click "Submit a Photograph" on the archive page. Add a caption and any context you have. All submissions are reviewed by our curator before appearing on the site.
What We're Looking For
Kornweiss studio prints. Any photograph with a Kornweiss or “Kornweiss Bro's” stamp on the backing card. These are our primary focus.
Lower East Side family photographs. Even if they're not from the Kornweiss studio, family photographs from the Lower East Side, Canal Street, or Brownsville neighborhoods help build a richer picture of the communities the studio served.
Stories and identifications. Do you recognize someone in the archive? Know a family story connected to one of the studio locations? Even uncertain information is valuable — “I think this might be my great-aunt based on a resemblance” is a starting point for research.
Documents and ephemera. Newspaper ads, business cards, receipt books, or any document related to Kornweiss Photography or the studio locations.
Tips for Photographing Your Prints
Photograph Both Sides
The back of a print is often as informative as the front. Studio stamps, handwritten names, dates, and processing marks are invaluable for identification and dating.
Use Natural Light
Place the photograph near a large window on an overcast day. Avoid flash — it creates glare on glossy prints and washes out detail.
Shoot Straight On
Hold your camera or phone directly above or in front of the photograph, not at an angle. Phone scanning apps like Adobe Scan or Microsoft Lens will auto-correct perspective.
Include a Scale Reference
Place a ruler, coin, or credit card next to the photograph in one shot. This helps us understand the original print size.
Send the Original File
Submit the full-resolution photo from your camera, not a screenshot or a social media compressed version. The more detail we have, the better.
If you'd prefer to have your originals professionally scanned, we can arrange that — contact us at contact@kornweissphotography.com
Ready to Contribute?
Every photograph and story adds to our understanding of the families and communities that shaped the Lower East Side.