Forgotten fashion photography from the 20th century
German-American fashion photographer Hermann Landshoff revolutionized his trade in the mid-20th century, but he was quickly forgotten. Now he's being remembered with an exhibition at the Stadtmuseum in Munich.
3,600 originals
Hermann Landshoff's heirs gifted all of his photos to the Stadtmuseum in Munich. The collection includes 3,600 original prints taken between 1927 and 1970. The works are now on show through April 21, 2014.
House of culture
Hermann Landshoff was born in Munich in 1905. He came from a wealthy Jewish family; his father Ludwig was a well-known musicologist, composer and conductor and his mother was an opera singer. Artists and intellectuals like Thomas Mann, Joachim Ringelnatz and Rainer Maria Rilke passed regularly through the Landshoffs' living room. At the age of 24, Hermann Landshoff discovered photography.
The capital of fashion
Before he started making a living as a photographer, Landshoff studied typography in Munich and worked as a caricaturist. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, he was forced to leave Germany. His first stop: Paris. There he worked as a fashion photographer for Vogue magazine and broke with tradition by posing his models in public places, such as the steps to Versailles Palace.
On the roofs of New York
A few years later, Landshoff immigrated to New York, where he worked as a fashion photographer for publications like Harper's Bazaar. It was his eye for unusual locations and compositions that left a lasting impression on the world of fashion photography. Instead of artificial backdrops, he took his models outdoors - like onto the roof of Saks Fifth Avenue.
Be natural
New York became Landshoff's playground and natural light his trademark. He instructed his models to act out everyday situations, like riding a bicycle or playing tennis. His approach inspired other artists and Landshoff became a role model for Richard Avedon, who would become Marilyn Monroe's favorite photographer.
A feeling for motion
Hermann Landshoff loved to experiment. He played with intentionally putting parts of his photos out of focus. Not only the fashion for the modern American woman was supposed to convey a joyful sense of lightness, but also the photos that presented it. Landshoff was satisfied with quick snapshots - he wanted to surprise the viewer and leave an impression.
European artists in New York
Portraits were also part of the artist's repertoire. Art collector Peggy Guggenheim commissioned him to photograph her husband, painter and sculptor Max Ernst, in 1942. He had been living in exile in the US since 1941. Ernst was one of many European artists living in the US who posed for Landshoff.
Unique portraits
Landshoff voluntarily photographed his colleagues and the result is a unique collection: Photos of the photographers who shaped the 20th century. Among them are Irving Penn (pictured), Walker Evans and Alfred Stieglitz. Not only models and artists posed for Landshoff, but also famous scientists like Albert Einstein.