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View Full Version : August Sander (17 November 1876 – 20 April 1964) commemorative show



Dirk Rösler
27-Aug-2014, 01:01
On the occasion of August Sander's 50th anniversary of his death, the art foundation of the city of Cologne has been holding a show with previously unpublished materia (http://www.photographie-sk-kultur.de/en/exhibitions/news/)l. The city has taken over the Sander archives in 1953. The exhibition shows 350 prints, mostly vintage from the 1950s. Even though Sander was not from Cologne by birth, he settled down and opened a studio there in 1909. Sander seems to have developed a strong bond to the city and documented it extensively. His pre WW2 imagery (1920-1939) published after his death as a book under the title "Cologne as it used to be". He continued photographing the city including its widespread destruction post-WW2. Seen side by side it is a heart-breaking affair as the beautiful alleys and boulevards are nothing but rubble after the war. A personal note by then-chancellor Adenauer to Sander, on the occasion of giving him a portfolio to the chancellor's (former Cologne mayor) 80th birthday is a testimony to this.

The "catalog of German society" we all know so well is complemented by numerous landscape photographs and even botanical studies, which are much lesser known. Some of Sander's commercial work is also on how. His humble beginnings taking photos of his own family, later portraits of others, show the path to the style of neutral and objective portraiture that later shaped photo history. The lack of pretension or judgment is clearly noticeable. This also explains the threat that he was seen as to the powers that be, because he did not have an agenda when picking his subjects, which included persecuted jews and gypsies. Yet I doubt that he was a cold and neutral person. How else could he have engaged with subjects ranging from his neighbour to powerful politicians?

Sander was obviously immersed in taking photographs and paid highest attention to the technical craft. His son Erich died during Nazi imprisonment (however, some Sander photographs remarkably feature him as a "political prisoner"); his other son Gunter underwent professional apprenticeship "including all relevant photographic processes". Exhibits from his studio also show extensive books, hiking maps, sun position calculations, chemical recipes and much more. It is obvious how serious he took his profession and craft. The show also has his (one of his?) cameras on display as well as several lenses and an enlarger (see attached).

The park behind the foundation is since this year named August-Sander-Park. It is nice to see his work and life recognised and honored 50 years later. Sander is buried on Cologne's Melaten-Friedhof, Lot 87.

Dirk Rösler
27-Aug-2014, 01:02
More photos

Michael W
27-Aug-2014, 06:48
Very interesting, thanks for sharing this.

analoguey
27-Aug-2014, 08:27
Is that an enlarger or the camera itself (photo #3)?

Dirk Rösler
27-Aug-2014, 08:37
Hi, yes, this is the enlarger. The contraption on the left must contain the lamp, although it is empty now. Inside is a large condenser lens.

analoguey
27-Aug-2014, 08:40
Nice! Reminds me of a steam engine. Wonder how it was powered - electricity?