Market, Shanghai. 2006. Large-format, unique C-Print, printed 2011. 90 x 60 cm (105 x 73 cm). Signed and stamped on the verso, framed under plexiglas in wooden frame.
Born in Kiel, the photographer Thies Rätzke studied photography with Dirk Reinartz. Since 2003 he worked as a freelance photographer and in 2020 founded his own agency with a focus on commercial and reportage photography. His extensive travelling has resulted in many global images. – In very good condition.
Reichstag Berlin
Documentation album of the demolition of the Reichstag Dome, Berlin
Los 4257 [*]
Schätzung
500€ (US$ 538)
Documentation album of the demolition of the Reichstag Dome, Berlin. October-November 1954. Circa 90 vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver prints and various newspaper clippings. Various sizes, between 17 x 23 cm and 11 x 9 cm and reverse. Mounted to album pages (some loose), many with captions below/beside the image on the mount, bound in 2 contemporary imitation leather albums (slight wear, one with loose cover) with embossed Berlin emblem on front cover.
These two comprehensive and well-designed albums, created for the Allgemeine Spreng- und Tauchgesellschaft Böll, Berlin-Schöneberg Meraner Str. 50 as well as for a coworker of the company, document the period between October and November 1954, when the Reichstag Dome was to be demolished due to poor static structure in danger of collapsing. The first detonation was not fully successful and had to be repeated on November 22, 1954. – Some photos with silver mirroring in edges and buckling, otherwise in good to very good condition.
Reutter, Otto
The German cabaret singer and comedian Otto Reutter
Los 4258
Schätzung
400€ (US$ 430)
Photographer: Reichard Lindner. The German cabaret singer and comedian Otto Reutter. Circa 1910. Vintage gelatin silver print. 19 x 12,5 cm. Signed, dated (1919) and dedicated by the sitter in ink in lower portion on recto, flush-mounted to cabinet card (slight traces of use) with photographer's embossed name below image, dedicated by Reutter in ink on mount verso.
This early portrait of Otto Reutter was gifted to his colleague the singer Paul Britton as the dedication on the recto and verso indicate. – Some surface scratches/scuff marks, otherwise in good condition.
Nubian men. 1963. 2 ferrotyped gelatin silver prints on Agfa paper. Each ca. 30,5 x 39,5 cm. 1 with the photographer's production stamp on the verso, the other signed by the photographer on the verso.
In the later stages of her career, Leni Riefenstahl turned her focus to photography, capturing compelling images during her travels to Africa, including Sudan in the 1960s. Her work featured striking portraits of Nubian men and other indigenous groups, along with the region’s landscapes and customs. While her photography is widely admired for its aesthetic quality, it also attracted criticism due to concerns about her portrayal of these cultures, compounded by her controversial past association with Nazi propaganda. – Edges rubbed, some handling creases, scuff marks and irregularities in ferrotype surface, otherwise in good condition.
Locomotives. 1930s. 2 vintage gelatin silver prints. 27 x 34 cm and 25 x 34,5 cm. Each mounted to board (slightly soiled), each signed by the photographer in pencil in lower right on mount; each with photographer's stamp and one also annotated in pencil on mount verso.
The American photographer William Rittase was known for his industrial photographs that appeared in a number of publications during the 1930’s, most notably Fortune Magazine. His images often depicted the growing American manufacturing sector, as well as the American worker. Rittase’s photographs were included in the exhibition "Murals by American Painters and Photographers" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1932. His work is also included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Houston MFA. – Some surface scuff marks, some retouched spots, one with light crease mark in upper area, otherwise in very good condition.
Martin Wuttke as Arturo Ui. 1995. Cibachrome print. 32 x 21,5 cm (40 x 30). Signed, copyrighted, dated and titled by the photographer in felt-tip pen on label on verso.
The photojournalist Karin Rocholl is well-known for her extensive portfolio of portraits featuring cultural figures. Her ability to establish a close rapport with her subjects often enables her to capture elusive and prominent individuals in a more authentic and unguarded light. A significant portion of her work has been published in the pages of Stern magazine. In this portrait, she depicts actor Martin Wuttke as Arturo Ui in the renowned Bertolt Brecht play Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui. – Some minimal handling creases, otherwise a rich tonal print in excellent condition.
Martin Walser, Schloss Neuhardenberg. 2011. Gelatin silver print, printed 2016. 23 x 34,5 cm (30,2 x 40,2 cm). Signed, titled, dated and copyrighted by the photographer as well as signed by Martin Walser in pencil on verso.
Light handling creases, otherwise in near excellent condition. With: Brochure, Gedenkfeier für Martin Walser, 16. November 2023.
Lit.: Karin Rocholl. Der Zweite Blick. München: Knesebeck Verlag, 2013. ill. p. 30-31.
Düsseldorf, Bürgerstrasse 14 from the "Trinkhallen" series. 1979. Vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver print on Agfa paper. 30,9 x 40,4 cm. Archive number "128" annotated by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
Tata Ronkholz, a significant figure associated with the Becher School and German objective photography in the 1970s and 1980s, is known for her documentation of urban scenes in the Rhineland and Ruhr regions, providing a visual record of post-war architecture and urban development. She primarily photographed cities such as Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Essen in the Rhine-Ruhr area. Her renowned series "Trinkhallen" (drinking halls), which she began in 1978, features images of refreshment kiosks, often incorporating other shop window designs. Ronkholz's photographic training began at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Professor Bernd Becher, later joining the influential Becher School alongside notable artists such as Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer, Axel Hütte, Thomas Ruff, and Thomas Struth. – Two light handling dents in left mid-section and upper left area, otherwise in near excellent condition.
Odenthal, Altenburger-Dom-Strasse 3 from the 'Trinkhallen' series. 1982. Vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver print on Agfa paper. 28,6 x 39,4 cm. Archive number "332" annotated by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
Minimal irregularity to ferrotype surface in upper portion, otherwise in near excellent condition.
Girl at Gee's Bend. 1937. Gelatin silver print, printed later. 27,6 x 35,5 cm. Stamped "Arthur Rothstein Photograph from the Collection of Grace Rothstein" on verso, titled and dated "Gee's Bend 1937" in pencil on verso, annotated by another hand in pencil on verso.
Arthur Rothstein is renowned for his work with the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression, capturing iconic images of rural poverty with a humanistic approach that conveyed dignity and resilience. His photographs not only documented the era’s struggles but also influenced public perception and policy by highlighting the harsh realities of poverty. One of his most celebrated images, Gee’s Bend, 1937, depicts the lives of African American sharecroppers in Alabama, capturing a moment of introspection and dignity amidst challenging conditions. Prints of this photograph are part of the collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Birmingham Museum of Art. – Corners slightly bumped, some handling creases and buckling along edges of print, otherwise in very good condition.
Die Bombe ist ausgelöst.... 1942. Vintage ferrotyped gelatin silver print. 15 x 11,5 cm. Typed press text and collection/date stamp on the verso.
This image brings to mind Willi Ruge's series "I Photograph Myself During a Parachute Jump" for which Ruge actually jumped out of a plane with a parachute. The text on the verso of this print reads: "Der Flugzeugführer hat seine Ju 88 gerade wieder abgefangen. Die körperliche Belastung, durch den Sturzflug hervorgerufen, ist doch deutlich auf seinem Gesicht erkennbar". Ruge was known for his photographic essays published in the magazines of the 1920s-30s, and he founded his own picture agency Fotoaktuell. Both a daredevil and photographer, he attempted to place the viewer in the center of the action and thus achieved truly innovative images. Sadly, his archive was destroyed during an air raid on Berlin in 1943, making his photographs very rare. – A few light handling marks, otherwise in very good condition.
Sander, August
Strassenarbeiter (Street workers); Monteur (Mechanic)
Los 4267 [*]
Schätzung
600€ (US$ 645)
Strassenarbeiter (Street workers) c. 1928; Monteur (Mechanic) 1929. 2 gelatin silver prints on Agfa paper, printed by Gunther Sander 1970s. 23,3 x 17,4 cm and 24 x 13,5 cm. Each annotated in felt-tip pen on the verso.
These images are part of group II, "Der Handwerker" (Tradesmen), portfolio II/10 and II/11 of "Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts". They belong to August Sander's wide-ranging venture to portray various people of German society and create a collection of types. – Some buckling in upper edge, a few handling marks throughout, traces of previous mounting on the verso, otherwise in good condition.
Lit.: Susanne Lange/Gabriele Conrath-Scholl (eds.). August Sander. Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (study volume). Munich 2001, ill. pp. 122 and 124.
Sargent, Robert F.
Into the Jaws of Death, June 6, 1944
Los 4268
Schätzung
3.000€ (US$ 3,226)
Into the Jaws of Death, June 6, 1944. Ferrotyped gelatin silver press print, printed 1959. 18 x 22,8 cm. Several paper labels with handwritten and printed text, United Press International Photo agency stamp, date stamp (partially covered) and annotated in pencil and crayon on the verso.
A chief photographer's mate in the United States Coast Guard, Robert F. Sargent captured this iconic image during the troop landing phase of Operation Neptune, the naval component of the Operation Overlord Normandy invasion, commonly known as D-Day. The photograph, one of the most reproduced from the D-Day landings, shows soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division disembarking from an LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel) launched from the U.S. Coast Guard-crewed USS Samuel Chase at Omaha Beach. The image was famously referenced in the opening landing scene of the 1998 Hollywood film Saving Private Ryan. – Corners bumped, creases/buckling throughout, one stronger crease in lower left, some surface scuffing/scratches.
Schmidt, Michael
Berlin Wedding (Adolf-./Ecke Gerichtstraße)
Los 4269
Schätzung
2.000€ (US$ 2,151)
Berlin Wedding (Adolf-/Ecke Gerichtstraße). 1976/77. Vintage gelatin silver print on Agfa paper. 20,5 x 28 cm (23,8 x 30,3 cm). Signed, titled, dated and copyrighted by the photographer in pencil on the verso. Matted and in original artist's frame, photographer's copyright label on frame verso, therein titled and noted "Vintage v. 77 " by the photographer ink.
Michael Schmidt embarked on his lifelong photographic journey at the young age of 20. He is renowned for his contributions to socio-documentary photography in Germany, characterized by a sober and reality-based style. In 1976, Schmidt established the "Werkstatt für Photographie" in Kreuzberg, Berlin. His notable "Berlin" series depicts the city in an empty, transitional state and cemented his position as a key figure in the "New Topographic Movement" of German photography until his untimely death in 2014. – Minimal buckling in upper/lower edges, corners slightly bumped, minimal handling mark in upper margin, otherwise a fine tonal print in near excellent condition.
Lit.: Michael Schmidt. Fotografien seit 1965. Folkwang Essen 1995, ill. p. 161.
Leni Riefenstahl. 1923. Vintage gelatin silver print. 30 x 23,7 cm.
Karl Schenker gained recognition for his refined portraits of early 20th-century European cultural figures. Among his subjects was Leni Riefenstahl, whom he photographed in the 1920s, prior to her involvement in Nazi propaganda. Schenker’s portraits of Riefenstahl highlight his talent for capturing glamour, contributing to her early cinematic image while predating the complexities of her later career. – Corners slightly bumped, some handling creases and finger prints, otherwise in very good condition.
[*]: Regelbesteuert gemäß Auktionsbedingungen. [^]: Ausgleich von Einfuhr-Umsatzsteuer.
* Alle Angaben inkl. 25% Regelaufgeld ohne MwSt. und ohne Gewähr – Irrtum vorbehalten.
Galerie Bassenge
Erdener Str. 5A
14193 Berlin
Öffnungszeiten:
Montag bis Donnerstag, 10–18 Uhr,
Freitag, 10–16 Uhr
Telefon: +49 30 8938029-0
Fax: +49 30 8918025
E-Mail: info (at) bassenge.com
Impressum
Datenschutzerklärung
© 2024 Galerie Gerda Bassenge
Galerie Bassenge
Erdener Str. 5A
14193 Berlin
Öffnungszeiten:
Montag bis Donnerstag, 10–18 Uhr,
Freitag, 10–16 Uhr
Telefon: +49 30 8938029-0
Fax: +49 30 8918025
E-Mail: info (at) bassenge.com
Impressum
Datenschutzerklärung
© 2022 Galerie Gerda Bassenge