Table Of Content

TICCPOHO..LOTOvR.,,.u.�G R11A1·P.oHY ooi.o CREATIVEPHOTOGRA l'HY �(Fl�ffe\ lr�W � [f) [HJ @Ir@@ [Fl ffe\ [f) [HJ U' Aesthetic Trends 1839-1960 by HELMUT GERNSHEIM BONANZA BOOKS· NEW YORK Copyrig©h tMCMLX/l byH elmuGte rnsheim LibraorfyC ongreCsast aloCga rdN umber7:4 -76430 Allr ighrtess erved. Thiesd itiiospn u blishbeydB onanzBao oks ad ivisioofCn r ownP ublishIenrcs., bya rrangemweinttFh a bearn dF aber a b c d e f g h Manufactuirnet dh eU niteSdt atoefsA merica C O N T E N T S INTRODUCTION page II THE MIRROR OF NATURE 23 II THE PENCIL OF NATURE 32 III TOPOGRAPHY AND INTERPRETATION 40 IV A NEW INDUSTRY 56 v IMMORTAL PORTRAITS 60 VI THE PHOTOGRAPHER AS STAGE MANAGER 69 ' ' VII FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 73 VIII GENRE 89 IX THE NUDE BEFORE THE CAMERA 96 x REPORTAGE AND DOCUMENTATION 102 XI PUSH-BUTTON PHOTOGRAPHY II5 XII NATURALISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY Il9 XIII IMPRESSIONISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY I22 XIV IMITATION PAINTINGS I3I xv THE AESTHETIC MOVEMENT I35 XVI THE BEGINNING OF MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY I49 XVII PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE RETORT I6I XVIII THE NEW OBJECTIVITY I72 XIX THE INFLUENCE OF SURREALISM I90 xx PHOTO-PATTERNS I96 XXI THE FACE OF OUR TIME 208 SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF PHOTOGRAPHERS ILLUSTRATED 23I PROCESSES 248 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND STUDY LIST 25I INDEX OF NAMES 255 5 I L L U S T R A T I O N S The author and-publisher gratefully acknowledge the loan of forty-four blocks from the Shenval Press. Originals of all the illustrations in this book are in the Gernsheim Collection unless otherwise stated. Those by living photographers are reproduced with their kind permission. The following individuals and organizations have kindly allowed the reproduction of the following photographs: Mrs Rosellina Bischof, 238, 239, 240; The Bodley Head, 86; Mr Paul Boissonnas, 125; The British Film Institute, 179, 181; British Railways, 3; Contemporary Films, 243; Mr Anthony Denny, 12; George Eastman House, Rochester, 100, 137, 158, 160; Edinburgh Public Library, 24; Mr Hans Hammarskiold, 119; Mr Peter Hunter, 219; Mrs Anneliese Lerski, 182; The Library of Congress, Washington, 226, 227; London Press Exchange, 3, 4; Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 103; The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, 62, 63; the Societe Fram;:aise de Photographie, 8, 19; Stenger Collection, 38; Mr Brett Weston, 190; Mr Berthold Wolpe, 36; Mrs. A. Erfurth, 130. 1. Nicephore Niepce. The world's first photo- 19. Hippolyte Bayard. Windmills at Montmartre, graph, 1826 page 12 c. 1842 page 33 2. Professor Schardin. Temperature distribution 20. D. 0. Hill and R. Adamson. The sculptor John around a heated metal tube, c. 1950 14 Stevens and bust of Lucius Verus. Calotype, 3. A fast-moving train. Photographic poster, 1960 16 1843-5 35 4. Advertisement for Industrial Life Offices Asso- 21. D. 0. Hill and R. Adamson. Rev. George Gil ciation, c. 1959 17 fillan and Dr Samuel Brown. Calotype, 5. Helmut Gernsheim. Loch Linnhe at mid-day, c. 1843 36 1946 18 22. D. 0. Hill and R. Adamson. Elizabeth John 6. Helmut Gernsheim. Loch Linnhe, late after- stone, the beauty of Newhaven village. Calo- noon, 1946 18 type, c. 1845 37 7. Weegee (pseudonym for Arthur Fellig). Fire at 23. D. 0. Hill and R. Adamson. Sailors. Calotype, a New York tenement, c. 1939 21 c. 1845 38 8. L. J.M. Daguerre. Earliest surviving daguerreo- 24. D. 0. Hill and R. Adamson. Highlanders at type, 1837 23 Edinburgh Castle. Calotype, 1843-7 39 9. J. P. Girault de Prangey. The Metropolitan 25. John Shaw Smith. Relief on a temple at Thebes. Church in Athens, detail. Daguerreotype, 1842 24 Waxed paper, 1851 40 10. Richard Beard. Daguerreotype of a gentleman, 26. Roger Fenton. Domes of the Cathedral of the c. 1842 26 Resurrection, the Kremlin. Waxed paper, 11. Interior of the first public daguerreotype studio 1852 41 in Europe, opened by Richard Beard on the 27. Dr Thomas Keith. Willow trees. Waxed paper, roof of the Polytechnic Institution, London, in c. 1854 42 March 1841. Woodcut by George Cruikshank, 28. Dr Thomas Keith. Reflections in a pond at 1842 26 Blackford Farm near Edinburgh. Waxed paper, 12. Antoine Claudet. Daguerreotype of a lady, 1855 42 c. 1845 27 29. 'Cuthbert Bede' (Rev. Edward Bradley). Title- 13. Daguerreotype of a gentleman, c. 1845 29 page of Photographic Pleasures, 1855 43 14. French daguerreotype, 1844 (reproduction). 30. James Mudd. Flood at Sheffield, 1864 44 Left, Friedrich von Martens (inventor of pano 31. James Anderson. Base of Trajan's Column, ramic daguerreotype, 1845). Right, the optician Rome, c. 1858 45 N. P. Lerebours. Standing, the chemist Marc- 32. Francis Frith. Pyramids of Dakshoor, 1857-8 46 Antoine Gaudin 30 33. Edouard Baldus. Pont du Gard, c. 1855 46 15. C. F. Stelzner. Daguerreotype, c. 1843. Left to 34. Royal Engineers Military School, Chatham right, Fraulein Reimer, Frau Stelzner, Fraulein (Photographic Department). Study of plants, Mathilde von Braunschweig 30 c. 1860 47 16. Babbitt. The Niagara Falls. Daguerreotype, 35. Bisson freres. Temple of Vespasian, Rome, c. 1853 31 detail of architrave, c. 1860 48 17. W. H. Fox Talbot. 'The Open Door.' Calotype, 36. James Robertson (attributed to). Malta fortress, c. 1844 32 c. 1860 48 18. W. H. Fox Talbot. 'The Chess Players.' Calo- 37. Charles Negre. Statue, detail from St Gilles du type, 1842 33 Gard Abbey near Aries. Calotype, c. 1852 49 7 38. Charles Clifford. In the park of the royal 77. Lady Hawarden. 'At the Window', c. 1864 page 91 summer residence Capricho, near Guadalajara, 78. Edward Draper. 'Boy with Parrots', c. 1865 92 Spain, 1855 page 50 79. William M. Grundy. 'The Country Stile', 1859 93 39. Henry White. Bramble and ivy, c. 1856 51 80. Lewis Carroll. 'The Elopement', 1862 93 40. Gustave Le Gray. 'Brig upon the Water', 1856 52 8r. Lewis Carroll. 'It Won't Come Smooth', 1863 95 41. Robert MacPherson. Garden of the Villa d'Este, 82. Coloured French stereoscopic daguerreotype of Tivoli, c. 1857 53 an odalisque, c. 1853 96 42. Gustave Le Gray. Notre-Dame, Paris, 1858 54 83. 0. G. Rejlander. Nude, 1857 97 43. Carlo Ponti. Piazza San Marco, Venice, c. 1862 55 84. Nadar. Christine Roux, the original 'Musette' 44. Cheap photographer's advertisement, 1857 57 of Murger's 'La Vie de Boheme', 1856 98 45. C. Schwartz. Christian Rauch, 1852 58 85. Clarence H. White and Alfred Stieglitz. Torso, 46. Ambrotype of an old gentleman, c. 1857 59 1907 98 47. Nadar. George Sand, 1865 60 86. Bill Brandt. Nude, 1958 99 48. Maull and Polyblank. Michael Faraday, F.R.S., 87. Lusha Nelson. African woman, 1934 IOO c. 1856. (Faraday is holding a piece of optical 88. 'The Music Lesson.' Stereoscopic photograph, glass in an iron container, used to demonstrate c. 1857 I02 magnetic rotatory polarization of light) 60 89. Alois Locherer. Transport of the colossal statue 49. Robert Howlett. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, 'Bavaria', Munich, 1850 I03 1857 61 90. William England. Railway bridge over the 50. Nadar. Baron Taylor, c. 1865 62 Niagara River. Stereoscopic photograph, 1859 I04 5r. Etienne Carjat. Rossini, c. 1865 63 9r. P.H. Delamotte. Opening of the rebuilt Crystal 52. Melandri. Sarah Bernhardt with her self Palace at Sydenham by Queen Victoria, IO June portrait bust, c. 1876 65 1854 I05 53. Julia Margaret Cameron. Ellen Terry, 1864 66 92. Edward Anthony. Broadway, New York, on a 54. Julia Margaret Cameron. Sir Henry Taylor, rainy day. Stereoscopic photograph, 1859 I06 1867 67 93. Nomination of parliamentary candidates at 55. Disderi. Uncut sheet of eight carte-de-visite Dover, 1863 I06 portraits of Princess Buonaparte-Gabriele, 94. P. H. Delamotte. Rebuilding of the Crystal c. 1862 70 Palace at Sydenham, 1853 I07 56. Disderi. Napoleon III, the Empress Eugenie 95. Roger Fenton. Crimean War, cookhouse of the and the Prince Imperial, 1859-60 71 8th Hussars, 1855 I07 57. Camille Silvy. The Countess of Caledon, 96. Thomas Annan. Glasgow slum (No. 28, Salt- c. 1862 71 market), 1868 I08 58. William Norman. Bear hunt (posed in studio), 97. T. H. O'Sullivan. 'The Harvest of Death'- 1867 72 battlefield of Gettysburg, July 1863 I09 59. John Leighton. Self-portrait, aged 30. Calo 98. La Butte de Montmartre during the Paris type, 1853 74 Commune, 1871 I09 60. William Lake Price. 'Don Quixote in his 99. Jacob A. Riis. New York slum dweller on make Study', 1855 75 shift bed in a coal cellar, c. 1888. Flashlight 6r. 0. G. Rejlander. Composition after a detail in photograph l IO Raphael's Sistine Madonna, c. 1856 77 roo. Lewis Hine. Child labour in Carolina cotton- 62. 0. G. Rejlander. 'The Two Ways of Life' (size mill, 1908 I IO 31 in. by 16 in.), 1857 78 IOI. Sir Benjamin Stone. Ox-roasting at Stratford- 63. H. P. Robinson. 'Fading Away', 1858 79 on-Avon 'mop', c. 1898 III 64. H. P. Robinson. 'The Lady of Shalott', 1861 80 I02. Paul Nadar. The first photo-interview: Nadar 65. H.P. Robinson. Preliminary sketch with photo (Gaspard Felix Tournachon) interviews the graph inserted, c. 1860 81 centenarian scientist M. E. Chevreul, August 66. H. P. Robinson. 'Dawn and Sunset', 1885 (size 1886 II2 29! in. by 21 in.) 82 I03. Arnold Genthe. Public feeding after the San 67. Detail of 66 83 Francisco earthquake on 18 April 1906 113 68. Julia Margaret Cameron. Florence, 1872. In I04. Nahum Luboshez. Famine in Russia, c. 19IO l 13 scribed by G. F. Watts: 'I wish I could paint I05. Elliot and Fry. Sir Joseph Wilson Swan, 1904 II4 such a picture as this' 84 106. Oscar van Zel. Skating, c. 1887 r r5 69. Julia Margaret Cameron. Florence, 1872 I07. J. Bridson. Picnic, c. 1882 II6 (another pose) 85 I08. Paris International Exhibition, 1889: under the 70. Julia Margaret Cameron. May Prinsep, c. 1870 86 Eiffel Tower l l 7 7r. Jane Morris posed by D. G. Rossetti, July 1865. I09. P. H. Emerson. 'Setting the bow-net.' Platino- Photographer unknown 87 type, 1885 II8 72. Julia Margaret Cameron. 'King Arthur', 1874 88 rr o. Frank Sutcliffe. 'Excitement.' Platinotype, 120 73. Julia Margaret Cameron. 'The Passing of 1888 Arthur', 1874 88 III. P. H. Emerson. 'Towing the Reed.' Platino- 74. William Lake Price. Partridge, c. 1855 89 type, 1885 121 75. 0. G. Rejlander. Tossing chestnuts, c. 1860 89 II2. Lyddell Sawyer. 'In the Twilight.' Photo- 76. 0. G. Rejlander. 'The Milkmaid', c. 1857 90 gravure, 1888 121 8 l 13. George Davison. 'The Onion Field.' Photo- 144· Clarence H. White. 'In the Orchard.' Photo- gravure, 1890 page 122 gravure, 1902 page 147 l 14. B. Gay Wilkinson. 'Sand Dunes.' Photo 145· Frederick H. Hellyer. Aubrey Beardsley, 1896 148 gravure, 1889 123 146. Alfred Stieglitz. 'Going to the Post.' Photo- u5. Heinrich Kuhn. 'A Venetian Canal.' Gum gravure, 1904 149 print (charcoal colour), 1897 (reproduction) 124 147· Harry C. Rubincam. 'The Circus Rider.' Photo- u6. Lacroix. 'Park Sweeper.' Photogravure of a gravure, 1905 150 gum print, c. 1900 124 148. Paul Strand. 'The White Fence.' Photogravure, II7. Robert Demachy. 'Primavera.' Photogravure 1916 150 of a gum print (red chalk colour), c. 1896 125 149· Alfred Stieglitz. 'The Steerage.' Photogravure, u8. Robert Demachy. 'Behind the Scenes.' Photo 1907 15 l gravure of a.gum print, 1904 127 150. Paul Strand. New York. Photogravure, 1915 152 l 19. Edward Steichen. Auguste Rodin with his 151. Paul Strand. Abstract pattern made by bowls. sculpture of Victor Hugo and 'The Thinker', 1902 128 Photogravure, 1915 152 120. Cover of exhibition catalogue of artistic photo 152. Paul Strand. Blind woman in New York. Photo- graphy held at the Royal Academy of Art in gravure, 1915 153 Berlin, 1899 128 153· John Thomson. Street locksmith, 1876 154 121. Frau E. Nothmann. 'In the Garden.' Photo 154· John Thomson. Poor woman with baby, 1876 155 gravure of a gum print, c. 1896 129 155· Paul Martin. Flirtations on Yarmouth beach, 122. Fred Boissonnas. 'Faust in His Study', 1898 c. 1892 156 (reproduction) 131 156. Paul Martin. Listening to a concert party on 123. J. C. Strauss. Photographic portrait in the style Yarmouth beach, c. 1892 156 of Frans Hals, 1904 (reproduction) 131 157· Anon. Young children selling food in New York l 24. Richard Polak. Photograph in the sty le of Pieter slum quarter, Mulberry Bend, 1897 157 de Hoogh, 1914 (reproduction) 132 l 58. Eugene Atget. A prostitute at Versailles, c. 1920 l 57 125. Fred Boissonnas. 'Coming Home from the 159· Eugene Atget. Tree roots at St Cloud, c. 1905 158 Theatre', c. 1902 133 160. Eugene Atget. Corset shop in the Boulevard de 126. Lejaren a Hiller. 'Deposition from the Cross', Strasbourg, Paris, c. 1905 159 c. 1910 134 l6I. W. H. Fox Talbot. Calotype of lace, 1842 160 127. Edward Steichen. 'Portrait of Lady H.' Photo 162. Paul Strand. Shadow pattern. Photogravure, gravure of a coloured gum print, c. 1910 135 1916 161 128. Hans Watzek. 'A Peasant.' Photogravure of a 163. Alvin Langdon Coburn. Vortograph: the first gum print, 1894 135 abstract photograph, January 1917 162 129. Theodor and Oskar Hofmeister. 'Great-grand 164. Christian Schad. Schadograph, 1960. (Replica mother.' Photogravure of a gum print, 1897 136 specially made for this book) 162 130. Hugo Erfurth. Kathe Kollwitz. Oil-print, 165. Photo-montage, c. 1868 163 c. 1925 137 166. Man Ray. Rayograph, 1921 164 131. Alfred Stieglitz. 'The Terminal.' Photogravure, 167. L. Moholy-Nagy. Photogram, 1922 164 1893 138 168. Man Ray. Solarization, 1931 165 132. Title-page of catalogue of photographic exhibi 169. L. Moholy-Nagy. View from radio tower, tion held at the Hamburg Kunsthalle (Art Berlin, 1928 166 Gallery), 1899 139 170. Andre Kertesz. Study of distortion, 1934 (re- 133· First page of eight-page pamphlet of the Inter production) 167 national Society of Pictorial Photographers, l 904 139 171. Helmut Gernsheim. One seed of a dandelion 134· J. Craig Annan. The painter and etcher Sir (35 x mag.), 1936 167 William Strang. Photogravure, c. 1900 140 172. Harold E. Edgerton. Multiple flash photograph 135· Maurice Bucquet. 'Effet de Pluie', c. 1899 140 of the golfer Dennis Shute. roo flashes per 136. H. H. H. Cameron. G. F. Watts. Photogravure, second, c. 1935 168 c. 1892 141 173· Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, F.R.S. X-ray dif 137. Frederick H. Evans. Aubrey Beardsley. Platino fraction photograph of a pentaerythritol crystal type, c. 1895 142 having tetragonal symmetry. (The sharp spots 138. Clarence H. White. 'Lady in Black.' Photo are due to the regular arrangement of the atoms; gravure, 1898 143 the diffuse spots are due to the thermal vibra- 139· Alice Hughes. The Arch-Duchess Stephanie tions), 1960 169 (widow of Arch-Duke Rudolph of Hapsburg). 174. Harold E. Edgerton. Splash of milk resulting Platinotype, 1905 144 from the dropping of a ball, which is seen on the 140. H. Walter Barnett. Mrs Saxton Noble. Platino rebound. Exposure 11100,000 sec. at F.64, 1936 170 type, c. 1908 145 l 75. Albert Renger-Patzsch. Driving shaft of a 141. Alexander Keighley. 'The Bridge.' Oil-print, locomotive, 1923 171 1906. 146 176. Albert Renger-Patzsch. Leaf of a Collocasia, 142. Alvin Langdon Coburn. Reflections. Photo 1923 173 gravure, 1908 146 177. Albert Renger-Patzsch. Potter's hands, 1925 173 143· Alvin Langdon Coburn. W. B. Yeats. Photo 178. Albert Renger-Patzsch. Breakwater at St Malo, gravure, 1908 147 Brittany, 1942 174 9