The first permanent photograph was a contact-exposed copy of an engraving made in 1822. Advances in digital photography combined with the Internet have made it possible for us to enjoy huge amounts of photographs. Some good, some more focused on “volume” rather than quality.

Today’s Photo Of The Day isn’t quite as old, but it’s still over 120 years of age and here presented in digital form. Taken in the late 1800s and it shows Swedish rolling block rifles inside the arsenal of the Karlsborg Fortress. There are no detailed pictures of the rifles, but it’s likely that these are Remington M1867 rolling blocks. According to Wikipedia, Sweden made over 200,000 of these, and they were also made for civilians and hunting purposes.

This photograph is included in an album containing various images from the years 1896-1898 of the Artillery and Engineering Academy, which documents “various exteriors, interiors, exercises, leisure, group photos and portraits“.

The Karlsborg Fortress is located on the Vanäs peninsula in Karlsborg by the lake Vättern in Sweden. The fortress was built in 1819 but wasn’t completed until 1909. It’s still one of the largest buildings in northern Europe. I wonder where all those rifles went because I have never seen one around.

The original photo can be found at the Digital Museum here. It’s called “Karlsborg Fortress, interior” with an unknown photographer. If you’re a fan of these types of historical photos, the Digital Museum is a gold mine and some are available in English. Like this search function – try “pistol” or “rifle” here. Try searching for “Remington“.

To see what some of the soldiers use in Karlsborg now, check the “Swedish Paratroopers in Mud Bath” and “Swedish SOG now confirmed with LWRCI and H&K MP7.” articles.

How many Remingtons do you think are inside the room in the picture?