Leopold Fischer (photographer)

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Leopold Fischer (1902-1978) was an Austrian police officer and much-awarded Pictorialist, and later, Modernist, photographer.

Contents

Biography

Born in Vienna, and living there for much of his life from 1939 to 1962 in the one apartment-cum-studio at Passingergasse 61/9, [1] [2] [3] [4] from 1923 Fischer was a member of the Federal Security Guard (police).

Pictorialist photographer

In 1924 he began his first photographic experiments and later practiced as a part-time professional photographer. [5] From 1928 he started exhibiting internationally with success in salons, [6] and after 1934 showed with a group of photographers of the police sports association, becoming their leader in 1938. His specialty was bromoil and the still more complex bromoil transfer process with which he produced colour-tinted prints, for which in 1943 he received a Bronze medal inscribed “Leopold Fischer, master of the Schutzpolizei in Vienna, for his achievements in the field of pictorial photography". [7]

Reportage

During WW2 Fischer produced occasional documentary photographs for war reports as part of his police work, and temporarily was a war correspondent in southeast Europe, [8] working from 1942 for Bavarian publishing director Wolf (Henry) Döring (1888 - 1958).

Modernist techniques

After the war Fischer continued to exhibit and modernised his practice with graphic techniques including solarisation and Sabattier effects, bas-relief, contour printing, posterisation, and tone-dropout in both monochrome and colour printing.

Recognition

Aside from his success in international photography salons, it was Fischer's older, more documentary picture that Edward Steichen chose in 1953 for the 1955 world-touring Museum of Modern Art exhibition that was seen by 9 million visitors The Family of Man . Window-light reveals a Tyrollean farmer family at their table eating their lunch from a cooking pan, while their child sups from his own bowl. The photo next appeared in 1954, with Tar worker and Street Atmosphere (with tram), in the Yearbook of the Photographic Society of Vienna 1953 - 1954. Steichen had come to Europe seeking photographs for the exhibition, but with few contacts in Austria he had to rely on a United States Information Service (USIS) officer based there, Yoichi Okamoto. The latter recruited Viennese gallery director, M. Gottschammel, of Verlag Die Galerie to collect and initially screen photographs sent by respondents to a 'call for participation' placed in newspapers and publicised widely in the photographic community in Austria. [9] Fischer was one of five Austrian photographers who contributed work to The Family of Man, though because he had not met him, Steichen was not to know of Fischer's history of propaganda services to the Nazis and his police work for them during the war. [10]

Legacy

With Karl Piringer, Erich Körner and Emil Obrovsky, Fischer founded the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Photographie (ÖGPh) (Austrian Society for Photography) in 1955 to promote excellence in Austrian photography and to cultivate international contacts and connections in the photographic field. The Society continues today, with appointment to the ÖGPh granted by recommendation of two full members and limited to 65 in number.

Exhibitions

Solo

Group

Publications

Text in book, catalogue or periodical

Photographs in publications

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References

  1. ↑ Das schöne Groß-Wien. Ein Bilderbuch von den Schönheiten des neuen Wien, Idee und Zusammenstellung Kurt Sommer, Wien: Deutscher Verlag für Jugend und Volk, o.J. (1939), [(2. Aufl.) 1941], 88
  2. ↑ Fotofreund. Organ der Unifa. Halbmonatsschrift für Freunde der Photographie, Schriftleitung: R. Ottwil Maurer, Berlin: Otto Elsner, 1941; zweiwöchentlich und Nr. 23/24, 357
  3. ↑ Foto-Almanach 1959 international. Ein Querschnitt durch das fotografische Schaffen unserer Zeit, hrsg. von Robert Hetz, Mannheim: Fotopost-Verlag
  4. ↑ Bernhard Meisser, o.J., 8 Foto-Almanach 1962 international. Ein Querschnitt durch das fotografische Schaffen unserer Zeit, hrsg. von Robert Hetz, Düsseldorf: Karl Knapp, o.J. (1962) 192
  5. ↑ Hochreiter, Otto; Starl, Timm, 1939-; Verein zur Erarbeitung der Geschichte der Fotografie in Österreich (1983), Geschichte der Fotografie in Österreich, Verein zur Erarbeitung der Geschichte der Fotografie in Österreich, retrieved 7 August 2018{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "The 5th Exhibition of the Association of Austrian Amateur Photographer's Associations", in: Camera Art, 1933, 218
  7. ↑ Dr. Othmar Helwich, (1944) “Leopold Fischer", in: Photographic correspondence. Journal of scientific and applied photography; Organ of the Photographic Society and the State Institute of Graphic Arts and Experimentation in Vienna, vol 80, No. 954 - 965, 1944
  8. ↑ ‘The face of the war’. in 31st edition of the "German Camera Almanac", ed. by Karl Weiss  [], with a foreword by Regierungsrat H. Kurzbein [...], 1941, Berlin: Union Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft, Roth & Co., 2nd ed.
  9. ↑ Kristen Gresh (2005) The European roots of The Family of Man, History of Photography, 29:4,331-343, DOI: 10.1080/03087298.2005.10442815
  10. ↑ Sarah E. James 'A Post-Fascist Family of Man? Cold War Humanism, Democracy and Photography in Germany’, Oxford Art Journal, Vol. 35, Issue 5, November 2012.
  11. ↑ Photographic Society (ed.): Jahrbuch der Photographischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 1943 - 1944 - 1945, Wien (Yearbook of the Photographic Society in Vienna. 1943 - 1944 - 1945, Vienna): Department of Prints and Drawings, 1945; 20 pp., [2], 36 pl., 18
  12. ↑ Yearbook of the Photographic Society in Vienna 1947/48, ed. by the Photographic Society in Vienna, Vienna (Published in the school of the State Graphical Teaching and Research Institute in Vienna), (1948), 37
  13. ↑ Jahrbuch der Photographischen Gesellschaft Wien, hrsg. von der Photographischen Gesellschaft, 1953 – 1954, Wien: o.V (Hergestellt im Schulbetrieb der Staatlichen Graphischen Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt [Bundesanstalt], Wien (1954), 30
  14. ↑ Jahrbuch der Photographischen Gesellschaft Wien, hrsg. von der Photographischen Gesellschaft, 1955 – 1956, Wien: o.V (Hergestellt im Schulbetrieb der Staatlichen Graphischen Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt [Bundesanstalt], Wien), Wien (1956), 51
  15. ↑ Jahrbuch der Photographischen Gesellschaft Wien, hrsg. von der Photographischen Gesellschaft, 1957 – 1958, Wien: o.V (Hergestellt im Schulbetrieb der Staatlichen Graphischen Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt [Bundesanstalt], Wien), Wien (1958), 38
  16. ↑ Jahrbuch der Photographischen Gesellschaft Wien, hrsg. von der Photographischen Gesellschaft, 1963 – 1966, Wien: Photographische Gesellschaft,(1966), 5
  17. ↑ Österreichische Photo-Zeitung. Fachblatt für Lichtbildner und Photohändler, 13. Jg., 1964, Wien: ABZ-Druck- und Verlagsanstalt Hamann & Sinek; monatlich, Nr. 4, 18-19
  18. ↑ Internationale Kunstphotographische Ausstellung, Wien 1932, Glaspalast – Burggarten, Unter dem Ehrenschutze des Herrn Bundespräsidenten Wilhelm Miklas, veranstaltet vom Verband der österreichischen Amateurphotographenvereine, Ausst.-Kat., Wien: (Selbstverlag VÖAV?), 1932, 26
  19. ↑ o.A., “Die 5. Ausstellung des Verbandes österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine“, in: Kamera-Kunst, 1933, 218 Wolfgang Born, “5. Ausstellung des Verbandes österreichischer Amateurphotographenvereine, Wien; Juni 1933“, in: Der Lichtbildner, 1933, 78-79, 79
  20. ↑ VI. Österreichische Lichtbilder-Ausstellung. Wien 1935. Künstlerhaus, Wien: Verband österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine, 1935, 7
  21. ↑ IV. Internationale Photo-Ausstelllung. Wien, 1936. Künstlerhaus. Veranstaltet vom Verband österr. Amateurphotographen-Vereine. Geschäftsstelle: Wien, XVIII. Bezirk, Ferrogasse Nr. 34. Angeschlossen sind Vierfarbendrucke von Franz Rontag, Wien und eine Sonderausstellung des Wiener Lichtbildnerklubs anlässlich der Feier seines 30jährigen Bestandes, Wien: Verband der österreichischen Amateurphotographen-Vereine, 1936; 31 S., [6] Bl., Nr. 361
  22. ↑ o.A., “Vereinsausstellungen. Lichtbildnersektion der Polizei-Sport-Vereinigung Wien [...]“, in: Nachrichten des Verbandes österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine, 10. Jg., 1937, Wien: Verband österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine; Hefte 1-7, 8/9, 10-12, Jan., 3-4 Henning, “Polizisten als künstlerische Lichtbildner. Zur 1. Photoausstellung der Polizei-Sportvereinigung Wien“, in: Photo- und Kino-Sport. Illustrierte Monatshefte für Amateure, 27. Jg., 1937, Wien: Herlango; monatlich, 6 sowie Beilage zu Nr. 1
  23. ↑ “Lichtbildnergruppe des Zweiges ‘Austria‘“, in: Nachrichten des Verbandes österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine, 10. Jg., 1937, Wien: Verband österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine; Hefte 1-7, 8/9, 10-12, März, 2
  24. ↑ V. Internationale Foto-Kongress-Ausstellung. Wien 1938, Künstlerhaus, Veranstaltet vom Verband österr. Amateurfotografenvereine, Ausst.-Kat.,
  25. ↑ o.A., “Wiener Polizei-Sport-Vereinigung“, in: Nachrichten des Verbandes österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine, 11. Jg., 1938, Wien: Verband österreichischer Amateurphotographen-Vereine; Hefte 1-7 (m.n.e.?), Feb., 4
  26. ↑ Die Foto-Schau, 1939, November, 10
  27. ↑ Bundesausstellung 1941 des RDAF. Verzeichnis der Preisträger“, in: Fotografische Rundschau und Mitteilungen. Organ des Reichsbundes deutscher Amateur-Fotografen, Vereinigt mit “Das Lichtbild“, Redaktion: Dr. Otto Croy bzw. Hefte 4, 8, 12, 16 mit dem Zusatztitel “Kleinbildheft“, bearbeitet von Dr. H.E. Trieb, Berlin, 78. Jg., 1941, Halle (Saale): Photographische Verlagsgesellschaft Knapp & Co.; zweiwöchentlich, 354
  28. ↑ Meisterbilder österreichischer Amateurphotographen und Sonderausstellung des Klubs der Amateurphotographen in Graz, [...], Ausst.-Kat., Graz: o.V., 1948
  29. ↑ Drausinger, “Internationale Ausstellung in Linz“, in: Österreichische Photo-Zeitung, 2. Jg., 1953, Wien: ABZ-Druck- und Verlagsanstalt Hamann & Sinek; monatlich, Nr. 7, (1-2), 2
  30. ↑ Sonderausstellung 25 Jahre Österr. Gesellschaft für Photographie, Kamera 1980. 6. österreichische Foto- und Filmgeräteschau, Ausst.-Kat., Linz 1980
  31. ↑ Steichen, Edward; Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973, (organizer.); Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967, (writer of foreword.); Norman, Dorothy, 1905-1997, (writer of added text.); Lionni, Leo, 1910-1999, (book designer.); Mason, Jerry, (editor.); Stoller, Ezra, (photographer.); Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) (1955). The family of man : the photographic exhibition. Published for the Museum of Modern Art by Simon and Schuster in collaboration with the Maco Magazine Corporation.{{cite book}}: |author6= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  32. ↑ “1. Internationaler Salon“, in: Österreichische Photo-Zeitung, 4. Jg., 1955, Wien: ABZ-Druck- und Verlagsanstalt Hamann & Sinek; monatlich, Nr. 4, 30
  33. ↑ Kartei zur “Diathek“, Dokumentation der Exponate in der Ausstellung “Geschichte der Fotografie in Österreich“ (Documentation of the exhibits in the exhibition "History of Photography in Austria")
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