Explorers and Entrepreneurs behind the Camera. The stories behind the pictures and photographs from the Image Archive of the Ibero-American Institute

171 Pages·2015·16.404 MB·English

by  Gregor Wolff, (ed.)

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e All images are property of the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut SPK (Image archive / Papers and Manuscripts)
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Explorers and Entrepreneurs behind the Camera Translation: Rebekah Smith
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hi Cover images (from front to back): Max T. Vargas: “Trono del Inka”, Cuzco; Sumner W. Matteson: Carmelite monastery, Desierto de los
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b Leones, Estado de México; Marc Ferrez: “Rio – Copacabana-Ipanema”; Max T. Vargas: The photo studio of Max T. Vargas in Mercaderes
rs THE STORIES BEHIND THE PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS Street 2-4, Arequipa
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e FROM THE IMAGE ARCHIVE OF THE IBERO-AMERICAN INSTITUTE Composition: Patricia Schulze and Dinah Stratenwerth
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d GREGOR WOLFF (ED.) © Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Potsdamer Str. 37, 10785 Berlin, www.iai.spk-berlin.de
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e All images are property of the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut SPK (Image archive / Papers and Manuscripts)
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Image copyright: Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut SPK
a
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e Editor: Gregor Wolff
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Explorers and Entrepreneurs behind the Camera Translation: Rebekah Smith
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n Cover design: Dinah Stratenwerth
hi Cover images (from front to back): Max T. Vargas: “Trono del Inka”, Cuzco; Sumner W. Matteson: Carmelite monastery, Desierto de los
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b Leones, Estado de México; Marc Ferrez: “Rio – Copacabana-Ipanema”; Max T. Vargas: The photo studio of Max T. Vargas in Mercaderes
rs THE STORIES BEHIND THE PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS Street 2-4, Arequipa
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e FROM THE IMAGE ARCHIVE OF THE IBERO-AMERICAN INSTITUTE Composition: Patricia Schulze and Dinah Stratenwerth
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r Print: Pinguin Druck Berlin
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r First edition: 2015
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n ISBN 978-3-935656-64-1
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d GREGOR WOLFF (ED.) © Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Potsdamer Str. 37, 10785 Berlin, www.iai.spk-berlin.de
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IAI_Fotoband_Umschlag_ENG.indd 1 17.11.2015 09:25:19
Explorers and Entrepreneurs behind the Camera
THE STORIES BEHIND THE PICTURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS
FROM THE IMAGE ARCHIVE OF THE IBERO-AMERICAN INSTITUTE
Gregor Wolff (ed.)
Fotoband_ENGL.indb 1 16.11.2015 15:35:35
INDEX
INTRODUCTION 4
Gregor Wolff
JEAN LAURENT – PHOTOGRAPHER TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN 8
(“FOTÓGRAFO DE S.M. LA REINA”)
Gregor Wolff
MARC FERREZ (1843-1923). PHOTOGRAPHER, ARTIST 16
AND ENTREPRENEUR IN 19TH CENTURY BRAZIL
Margrit Prussat
ALBERT FRISCH AND THE FIRST IMAGES OF THE AMAZON 26
TO GO AROUND THE WORLD
Frank Stephan Kohl
TEOBERT MALER: AN EMPATHETIC VIEW OF MEXICO 36
Claudine Leysinger
THE COLLOTYPE, THE AUTOMOBILE AND ELECTRIC LIGHT:
46
THE VARIED PASSIONS OF EMÍLIO BIEL IN PORTO
Ricarda Musser
ALBERT RICHARD DIETZE: 56
PHOTO CHRONICLER OF THE PROVINCE OF ESPÍRITO SANTO
Ricarda Musser
ANTHROPOLOGICAL-ETHNOLOGICAL PHOTOGRAPHS 66
FROM PAUL EHRENREICH’S PAPERS AND MANUSCRIPTS
Paul Hempel
EASTERN PERU – THE REGION AND ITS PEOPLE (1888-1891), 76
DOCUMENTED BY KROEHLE & HÜBNER
Frank Stephan Kohl
INDEX
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MORE THAN FRIDA’S FATHER. GUILLERMO KAHLO AS A PIONEER 86
OF INDUSTRIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN MEXICO
Rainer Huhle
A VISUAL LEGACY OF THE PERUVIAN POPULATION AT THE BEGINNING OF 96
THE 20TH CENTURY. MAX UHLE’S PHOTO COLLECTION
AT THE IBERO-AMERICAN INSTITUTE BERLIN
Daniela Mihok
OF PLANTS AND MEN. A BOTANIST DOCUMENTS THE AMAZON 106
Michael Kraus
PICTURES FROM AFAR: ROBERT LEHMANN-NITSCHE 116
AND THE MEDIUM OF THE PICTURE POSTCARD
Kathrin Reinert
PHOTOGRAPHY WITHOUT BORDERS: MAX T. VARGAS’ IMPACT AS A STUDIO 126
PHOTOGRAPHER, ARTIST AND ENTREPRENEUR IN SOUTHERN PERU
Annika Buchholz
ADVENTURER WITH BIKE AND CAMERA: 136
SUMNER W. MATTESON (1867-1920)
Anja Müller, Gudrun Schumacher, Gregor Wolff
“SPECIALTY: VIEWS OF MEXICO” – HUGO BREHME (1882-1954) 146
Friedhelm Schmidt-Welle
WHEN OHLSEN FORGOT HIS HAT – PICTURES FROM 156
A GERMAN-CHILEAN ROBINSONADE
Kristy Schank
AUTHORS 166
INDEX
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INTRODUCTION
GREGOR WOLFF
The images presented in this volume, taken from the generally made their livings by selling their images and
holdings of the Ibero-Amerikanisches Insitut (Ibero- portrait photography. The more successful among them
American Institute, IAI), date back to the early phase of published their own volumes of photographs or sold
photography – more specifically from 1856 to 1939 – and their pictures to publishing houses and journals. They
were taken in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, expanded their business models by importing and dis-
Spain and Peru. tributing photographic equipment and accessories from
Europe, selling photo and postcard series to travelers
The order of the essays more or less follows the historical and, in some cases (Ferrez), even made forays into the
development of photography and traces an arc from ear- film industry at the start of the 20th century.
ly studio photographs and expedition and travel photog-
raphy to images that documented early film productions. These commercial photographers also received frequent
commissions from companies and public institutions.
This publication also maps out the technological devel- They documented the processes of modernization and
opment of photography from the middle of the 19th cen- mechanization, above all by taking numerous photo-
tury to the start of the 20th century. While in the early graphs of railroads, bridges, railroad stations, port fa-
days of photography, it was only possible to take pictures cilities, factories and machines, and thus helped various
in photo studios, it was not long before photographers governments to project a particular image to the outside
took to the road and scientists began to use the camera world. Today, rather unjustly, a number of these commer-
as a research instrument. cial photographers may have faded into obscurity. How-
ever, during their careers as photographers, their images
Initially, the photographs were sold as single shots, then were showcased at international exhibitions, symposia
compiled into photo books and later sold as postcards. and even world fairs, where they frequently won awards
As printing techniques improved, the images were dis- (Biel, Brehme, Dietze, Ferrez, Laurent).
tributed more widely in newspapers and journals and
the profession of the press photographer or travel re- A second key group are the scientific expedition photog-
porter emerged. raphers (Ehrenreich, Frisch, Kroehle & Hübner, Maler, Ule).
They embarked on journeys lasting many months and
One of the aims of this publication is to present the dif- covered thousands of kilometers, often contending with
ferent types of photographers in their historical contexts. extreme conditions, such as rowing through the Amazon
Many of these photographers were commercial photog- tropical rainforest. Their photographic expeditions were
raphers who owned one or several photo studios (Biel, ground-breaking achievements. Working in the early
Brehme, Dietze, Hübner, Ferrez, Laurent, Vargas). They days of photography, they took a whole host of heavy
4 INTRODUCTION
Fotoband_ENGL.indb 4 16.11.2015 15:35:35
technical equipment on their trips, such as photographic phers have in common is the way they staged their imag-
glass plates, mobile photo laboratories, chemicals and es and constructed a reality, which may seem surprising
darkroom tents, and needed numerous assistants to do considering science’s claims to objectivity.
their work. On occasion, a number of commercial pho-
tographers (Ferrez, Matteson) also joined these scientific Each in their own individual way, the photographers pre-
field trips, meaning that there was some exchange be- sented here are pioneers of photography, in terms of their
tween these two groups. working methods – which were ground-breaking in their
day – their ambitious photographic expeditions and their
The first half of the 20th century saw the emergence of inventive spirit. They experimented with photographic
the first travelling press photographers, who sold their chemicals and invented photochemical formulas that
pictures to newspapers and journals. Thanks to major allowed them to take photographs in warm and humid
technological developments in the fields of transport conditions. They worked on new types of photographic
and photography (roll-film cameras), they were able to paper and developed special equipment and modes of
set off on their own and report on the countries they transport to ensure that the fragile photographic plates
visited. However, their trips were no less adventurous, did not get damaged on the long journeys.
as illustrated by Matteson’s bicycle tour, which took him
nearly 1,000 kilometers across Cuba. Among the recurring themes of the photographs are the
fauna and flora and natural resources of the various re-
Working together with the film industry, which was also gions the photographers visited. Another major motif is
in its early days, photographers took the first images of modernization, mechanization and infrastructure. The in-
film productions. These, too, are interesting historical habitants of the regions were a further focal point of the
sources, and not only for research into film history and photographs, which depicted both European immigrants
production: they also depict the towns, villages and land- and the native population in urban and rural areas, along
scapes that formed the backdrops of these films. with their working environments. A number of essays in
this volume focus in particular on photographs of indige-
In light of these different groups, it is also interesting to nous people. They are mostly carefully staged portraits or
consider the varying circulation and impact of the photo- group shots in which the indigenous people have been
graphs. While the “scientific photographs” were often only fitted out with clothes and objects and placed in front
destined for publications with low print runs and circu- of neutral backdrops, either in a studio or in their living
lated in specialist circles (not to mention the photographs and working environments. These shots were taken for
that remained solely in the possession of the researchers). “scientific” as well as commercial purposes. Indigenous
The commercial photographs, by contrast, were pub- people were a favorite subject of commercial photogra-
lished in photo books, newspapers and journals and thus phers and these pictures sold well among travelers and
reached a far broader audience and had a much more researchers. Scientists even shared recommendations
long-lasting impact on the perception of other countries on photo studios where they could add to their “collec-
and cultures, even if over the decades the names of these tions of type portraits”. They were mainly interested in
photographers gradually disappeared from the publica- the physical and anthropological features of the sub-
tions featuring their works. What both types of photogra- jects photographed and the factors that shaped these
INTRODUCTION 5
Fotoband_ENGL.indb 5 16.11.2015 15:35:35
features. From today’s perspective, both groups of pho- among scientists, who purchased them to expand their
tographers were equally inconsiderate in their pursuit image and research archives. The picture postcard was
of interesting subjects, in their thirst for images of “[…] an emerging medium towards the end of the 19th cen-
completely naked savages […]” (Ehrenreich). tury and this volume features six photographers (Biel,
Brehme, Dietze, Ferrez, Matteson, Vargas) who integrated
Another fascinating field that has yet to be fully re- it into their businesses.
searched are the photographs by academics whose ac-
tivities encompassed a variety of different disciplines, Furthermore, the postcards provide a good basis for
represented in this volume by the archaeologist Maler examining the circulation of objects and visual infor-
and the botanist Ule. In addition to their main areas of mation. The postcard series created by Vargas and Leh-
research, they also took pictures of festivals, ceremonies, mann-Nitsche demonstrate how postcards were manu-
individuals, landscapes and cities on their trips, thus factured in Europe (in this case in Leipzig and Passau in
creating important records of socio-historical and eth- Germany), but sold in South America. Up until the First
nographic phenomena that have yet to be examined. World War, Germany was the center of the postcard in-
This also applies to the photographic materials they pur- dustry. Pictures that were taken in the Andes or the Tierra
chased while on their travels, which go beyond their ac- del Fuego were sent to the metropolises in their country
tual fields. of origin, where images were then selected for commer-
cial use. They were subsequently shipped to Germany to
Furthermore, the essays examine how the images were be made into postcards. These postcards were then re-
transformed through photo manipulation and retouch- imported and sold in the countries of origin. European
ing techniques (e. g. reprography, photomontage). These travelers and scientists purchased the picture postcards
methods were already used in the early days of photog- and took them back to Europe or sent them to their fami-
raphy to adjust the content of a picture or to give it a par- lies and colleagues. Travelers not only bought individual
ticular aesthetic. images, but often entire series featuring typical scenes
for that particular country (landscapes, buildings, views
The authorship of the photographs is another pertinent of cities, portraits of important figures and images of in-
question for the history of photography. It is a well-known digenous people).
fact that many photographers bought images taken by
third parties and then distributed them under their own These collections were part of scientists’ papers and
names (e. g. Brehme) or employed other photographers manuscripts and thus later found their way into muse-
in their photo studios, who took images that were sold ums, libraries or the hands of private collectors. This en-
under the name of the studio owner (e. g. Laurent). sured that they were preserved for posterity, while some
of the collections that remained in the countries of origin
Successful photographers generally tried to capitalize were lost.
on their success by turning their photographs into post-
cards, either by publishing the postcards themselves or However, it was not only commercial photographers
by using postcard publishers. These were specifically who used the emergence of the picture postcard to ex-
aimed at travelers and tourists and were also popular pand their businesses. The example of Lehmann-Nitsche
6 INTRODUCTION
Fotoband_ENGL.indb 6 16.11.2015 15:35:35
illustrates how scientists also used the photographs they Leopoldo Batres (Mexico), Augusto Malta (Brazil), Martín
took on research trips for commercial purposes and sold Chambi (Peru), Guilherme Gaensly (Brazil), Fernando Gar-
them via postcard publishers. reaud (Peru), Perry Kretz (Nicaragua), Eduard Seler (Me-
xico), Cäcilie Seler-Sachs (Mexico) and C. B. Waite (Mexi-
Comparing the postcards with the original photographs co), to name a few.
on which the postcards were based is a further poten-
tial field of research. How were the shots changed, re- This volume brings together authors who have spent the
touched and manipulated before being published and last ten years conducting research and publishing papers
sold? Which people and objects were removed or even on the IAI’s image archive. We would like to thank them
added to the pictures? Which collection were they part for their invaluable insights on the materials and for all
of before being selected for publication and compiled as of their hard work in helping us to identify the historical
series, and which photographs were rejected? photographs. Their essays not only examine the lives and
works of the photographers, but also put the images into
It was not possible to include all of the image archive’s their historical contexts and are a source of inspiration for
holdings in this volume. The IAI’s collection consists of future research projects. The authors also provide infor-
over 100,000 photographic documents, including 60,000 mation on photographs housed in other archives, with
photographs, 36,000 slides, 8,300 photographic glass the aim of making this volume a starting point for further
plates, 1,100 negatives and 2,300 postcards. The collec- research.
tion features images from Spain, Portugal and the whole
of Latin America, in particular Argentina, Brazil, Mexico Two final points should be noted with regard to the pres-
and Peru. The collection dates from 1860 to 2000 with entation of the pictures in this volume: For aesthetic rea-
the majority of the material originating from the late sons, they have been minimally edited and do not, there-
19th and early 20th century. These photographic docu- fore, reflect the original state of the photographs. Wher-
ments are excellent sources for research projects in the ever we have used the photographers’ original captions,
fields of ethnography, social history and the history of we have placed them in quotation marks.
science. The fact that the photographic materials are part
of the IAI’s papers and manuscripts is a major advantage
for researchers. They have access to travel diaries, manu-
scripts, lists of photographs, correspondence and the
institute’s unique library and are able to categorize and
interpret the photographs, compare the images with the
published photographs and make use of comprehensive
secondary literature. This is an incredibly valuable re-
source for any project. Analyzing the photographs out of
context would not allow such extensive findings.
It was not possible to include all of the well-known pho-
tographers that feature in the IAI’s collections, such as
INTRODUCTION 7
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JEAN LAURENT – PHOTOGRAPHER TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
(“FOTÓGRAFO DE S.M. LA REINA”)
GREGOR WOLFF
Alongside the British photographer Charles Clifford Obras Públicas), which were showcased at the world fair
(1821-1863), French-born Jean Laurent (1816-1886) is in Paris in 1867. Photographs by Laurent were exhibit-
viewed as the most important photographer in Spain ed in London and Paris as early as 1858 and published
in the second half of the 19th century. Laurent, howev- by the Spanish press from 1858 onwards (La Época, La
er, achieved far greater commercial success. His images Crónica).
reached a wide audience in Europe, particularly in France
and England, where they shaped public perception of Laurent had a particular interest in manufacturing and
Spain until well into the 20th century. improving the quality of photographic paper. In 1866,
together with José Martínez Sánchez (1808-1874) who
Laurent left France in 1843 and moved to Spain, deciding worked in his photo studio for many years, he developed
to settle in Madrid where he initially focused on manu- an innovative photographic paper (papel leptográfico)
facturing boxes and luxury paper. He won awards for his which was a huge commercial success in Spain and fur-
paper and cardboard packaging at fairs in 1845 and 1850. ther afield in France.
In 1856 Laurent opened a photo studio in the Spanish From 1861 to 1868 Laurent held the title of “Fotógrafo de
capital and within just a few years he had made a name S.M. la Reina”. His photo studio in Madrid was one of the
for himself as a first-rate photographer, which translat- best known of its day. He produced portrait photographs
ed into considerable commercial success. In the early of the royal family, of clergymen, military officers and
years, his studio mainly produced portrait shots of politi- politicians. After the queen was deposed in 1868, Lau-
cians and artists from Madrid. In 1857 he took his first rent’s excellent reputation as a photographer allowed his
outdoor photographs. In 1858 the Spanish government photo studio to stay in business and he photographed
commissioned Laurent to photograph the construction members of the provisional government. He did, howev-
of the railroad line from Madrid to Alicante (published er, cease using the title bestowed on him by the queen.
under the title: Camino de Hierro de Madrid a Alicante. At the peak of his career, he opened a gallery in Paris,
Vistas principales de la línea) and from 1863 to 1864 he which exhibited and sold premium-quality prints of his
photographed work on the route between Madrid and photographs from Spain and Portugal. Some of his most
Zaragoza. In order to create images of the railroad lines, commercially successful works were his photographic
bridges, stations and signal towers, Laurent developed reproductions of paintings and objets d’art in Spanish
special equipment which enabled him to transport the museums, especially an album published in 1866 featur-
fragile cameras and heavy glass-plate negatives by train ing 164 images of artworks from the Prado, which sold
(Teixidor Cadenas 2003: 17). He published this extensive particularly well in England and France.
visual documentation in five photo albums (Álbumes de
8 JEAN LAURENT – PHOTOGRAPHER TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
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