Saving Photography

The title of this project surprised some people who have heard me using a similar phrase in a different context before. I often told my art students that it is ‘not our job to save photography’. Todays issues should be told with todays media. The world has changed and the image technology we once called ‘photography’ has merged into other visual ways of story telling. We do not have to mourn or to be nostalgic about that. Great new opportunities have risen and we should put all our energy into developing them.

We do, however, have an obligation to our visual history.

Working with new media as virtual reality, often makes me look back at cross points in history when art and technology challenged each other before. With the birth of photography in the 19th century people got the opportunity to visually communicate their dreams, worries, grieves and distress to others. We still use image technology to do so. There is a direct connection between early photography and the Instagram culture of today.

The images, ordinary people produced in the first century of photography, are often hidden in boxes and – with a bit of luck – archives. Often context like names, dates and places did not survive. Historians and artists have to re-create the stories these images might tell. This fascinates me.

In this time frame keeping photography as a medium stuck to paper, is suffocating its significance. The signs of usage and time on paper will create more and more distance to their origins. Scratches, dust and decay work as a blanked covering its content. I gave myself the task to redeem photographs from paper so they can communicate in different ways. With digital technology I can nearly treat quality photography as music written in notes by classical composers. The people on the photographs are dead – but their stories come to life.

With my own background and experiences as a photographer in mind, I startedcollecting and editing thousands of personal photographs that were disconnected from their origins. I found paper photographs on (online) flee markets and auctions. I also received boxes and albums with photo’s – send by nice people who felt the responsibility to give them a good home. The fast growing analogue archive of visual personal histories became my direct connection to the past and a fundament of new story telling possibilities.

These images, as you can see in my daily posts on social media, are step one. For step two I am developing virtual reality experiences together with music composer Frieda Gustavs, director of technology Cris Mollee and others. I will keep you posted on that. For the time being I would like to invite you to travel trough the nearly 300 photographs I have posted on social media since January this year. There is a lot more to come. Your feedback is appreciated.

Leo Erken, October 2019

Click on an image for a slide show.

Anonymous photographer. Germany, 1930s.

Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous lady in a portrait by an also anonymous photographer. Germany, early 20th century.

Playing children in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, in the 1910s. Photo by the Dutch photographer Piet H. van Son. In the early 20th century, Piet H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years.

Photographer Piet H. van Son had his own picture taken by W. A. Bonnet, who had his studio in the Old Court house Building in Lake Charles, Louisiana in the 1910s. In the early 20th century, Piet H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years.

Anonymous photographer and cat. Germany, 1930s.

Picture taken near Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, in the 1910s by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son. In the early 20th century, P. H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years. His American archive is part of our collection.

Picture taken in a theatre in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, in the 1910s by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son. Most pictures in the archive of P. H. van Son were taken with a view camera on glass negatives but he also used a shoebox large snapshot camera with nitrate film. A few nitrate negatives were saved in the archive. This is one of them. In the early 20th century, P. H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years. His American archive is part of our collection.

Anonymous photographer and model. Germany 1930s.

Anonymous photographer. Passport photo of an unknown German man in the 1930s.

Three girls in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, portrait by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son in the 1910s. In the early 20th century, P. H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years.

Anonymous photographer. The ‘Westerkerk’ (Church of the Western part of town) Amsterdam, 1950s.

Portrait of an unknown family somewhere near Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son in the 1910s. In the early 20th century, P. H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years.

Double exposure by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son made in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA in the 1910s. In the early 20th century, P. H. van Son, who originated from the town of Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years.

In the 1950s, an anonymous photographer took this picture somewhere in Germany.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, Estonia, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer and models. Unknown country, early 20th century.

Portrait of a family made near Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son in the 1910s.  P. H. van Son who originated from the town Oirschot in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, lived and worked in Louisiana for some years in the early 20th century.

Portrait of an unknown family taken in ‘Snel foto (fast photo) Rembrandt’, Hoogstraat 373, Rotterdam in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. Unknown country. 1920s.

Picture of a melon at a fair in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA in the 1910s. Photo by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son who originated from Oirschot, province Brabant, the Netherlands and lived and worked in Louisiana.

Picture by the Dutch photographer P. H. van Son of an unknown family in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, 1910s.  P. H. van Son from Oirschot, province Brabant, the Netherlands lived and worked in Louisiana in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and family. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Scene in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, 1910s. Photo by Dutch photographer P. H. van Son who lived and worked in Louisiana in the early 20th century.

An anonymous photographer took this picture of a girls scouts meeting in the town of Heemstede in the Netherlands in 1937.

Photo by an anonymous German soldier. Somewhere in Europe early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer. Picture made after the bombardment of the city of Rotterdam by Nazi planes in May 1940. Between 600 and 900 people were killed and the centre of the city was left in ruins. 32 churches and synagogues were destroyed. Among them the Sint-Laurenskerk. The church was rebuild after the war.  The modernist phone box in front of the church was a design from 1932 by Leendert van der Vlugt (1894-1936) of the Rotterdam studio Brinkman and Van der Vlugt, who also designed the world famous Van Nelle Factory in 1931. The Van Nelle Factory is now on the UNESCO world heritage list. Leendert van der Vlugt’s phone box would be the standard phone box in the Netherlands for more than 50 years. It can still be seen in the Boijmans van Beuningen museum in the city. Today the whole city of Rotterdam is a proud icon of modern architecture.

Polaroid picture taken in 1979 by the famous Dutch photographer Roger Cremers when he was 7 years old in the Dutch province of Limburg. On the right his sister Angelique. This historic image was donated by his wonderful mother Nellie Cremers. On the 11th of November, (in Limburg dialect: èlfde van de èlfde), in the south of the Netherlands the carnaval season opens.

School children in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, in the early 1910s. Photo by Dutch photographer P. H. van Son who lived and worked in Louisiana at the time. 

Swimming lesson in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA, in the early 1910s.  Photo by Dutch photographer P. H. van Son who lived and worked in the Louisiana for some years. 

Anonymous photographer. Portrait of Emile (family name unknown) with his dogs Lucien and Zoete. Belgium, early 20th century.

On the 20th of July 1902, in his studio at Gouw 27 in Hoorn, North Holland, the Netherlands, photographer Cornelis M. Bos (1869-1953), took this portrait of Geertje van Albada (Born on the 30th of July 1882- decedent unknown). (thanks to Raymond Frenken)

Scene seen by Dutch photographer P. H. van Son who took this picture around 1910 near the town of Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA. In the early 20th century van Son lived and worked in the Louisisana for a couple of years.

Anonymous photographer, Naarden, the Netherlands, 1914.

Portrait of an unknown man in a cotton field near Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA made around 1910 by the Dutch photographer P.H. van Son who lived and worked in the USA for some years.

Photo by the Dutch photographer P.H. van Son who lived and worked in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA in the early 1900s. The American archive of P.H. van Son (both prints and negatives) was rescued recently and is now part of the collection at the studio.

An anonymous photographer made this family portrait of Anna (last name unknown) with her children Stien and Wim. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Portrait of an unknown lady by the Dutch photographer P.H. van Son who lived and worked in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA in the early 1900s. (The American archive of P.H. van Son (both prints and negatives) was rescued recently and is now part of the collection at the studio.)

In an envelope with hundreds of snap shots of one family from the province of Drenthe – that had arrived at the studio this week – some remarkable images showed up. Like this one: a war scene from the East Indies (Indonesia). In 1945, just after the Netherlands was liberated, the country was at war again. Thousands of Dutch conscript and professional solders were sent to the colony to suppress the call for independence. The war in Indonesia that was sold to the people in the Netherlands as ‘politionele acties’ (police actions) is an open wound in Dutch history.

Picture by the Dutch photographer P.H. van Son who lived and worked for some time in Natchitoches, Louisiana, USA in the early 1900s.

Anonymous photographer and model, Germany 1930s.

In the early 20th century an anonymous Estonian photographer took this portrait of Aasált Lindale who gave it to a friend to be remembered.

A small photograph made in the mid 20th century by the Danish photographer Carl Emil Karstrøm, probably in the town Aalborg where he lived and worked. On the image: the ‘4 Kentons’, acrobats from the Netherlands. On the back of the picture two addresses: the one of Karstrøm in Aalborg and of the performing artists at the Marnixstraat 224-1 in Amsterdam. A little research learned that the 4 Kentons were three brothers by the name Korenvaar and a lady of whom I could not find a name. She might be the top person on the picture and if so, she must have been someone special. In the 1930s and 40s, the 4 Kentons performed in- and outside the Netherlands, there are even reports of them performing in the Soviet Union in 1937. On the 16th of April 1940 they were on stage in the famous Amsterdam Circus theatre Carré. Among the other artist that day: Johnny & Jones; Nol van Wesel (Johnny) and Max Kannewasser (Jones), immensely popular Jazz performers at the time. A month later the city was occupied by the Nazi’s. During the occupation Jewish Johnny and Jones were deported to concentration camps and killed just before liberation. The 4 Kentons reportedly kept on performing during wartime. On on the 28th of July 2007, The Danish newspaper Nordjyske Stiftstidende published an obituary on Carl Emil Karstrøm who had died at the age of 84. He was not only a photographer but also a stunt pilot, builder and inventor. The obituary tells a romantic story of a self made man with ‘the courage to express strong viewpoints’.

Anonymous photographer and model, Latvia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model, Germany early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and children. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

 Anonymous photographer and model. Unknown country, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. Germany 1939.

Anonymous photographer and models, France early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country. Early 20th century.

Portrait of an unknown lady by Adriaan Willem Verschoore de la Houssaije (1896-1981) who was born in Den Bosch and ran a picture studio in Goes, Zeeland, the Netherlands from 1919. This portrait was made in the 1920s.

Anonymous photographer, East Indies (Indonesia) Dutch colonial family. Early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country.

Anonymous photographer. British photo post card made in an unknown country in the 1920s. (Could be Pitcairn islands)

Anonymous photographer and models. Germany, 1930s

Anonymous photographer and newly weds. Germany, 1930s

Portrait of unknown young couple by A. Schlegel, Atelier für Künstlerische Portraits in Bremen in the 1910s. His studio was working with day- as well as electric light: ’Bei Eintretender Dunkelheit Aufnahme bei Elektrisches Licht’.

Anonymous photographer. Germany, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer and model, Germany 1950s.

Anonymous photographer, Germany 1930s.

Anonymous photographer and unknown children. Somewhere. Late 19th century.

On the 18th of October 1900 an anonymous photographer made this portrait of an unknown family in Zeeland, the Netherlands.

Anonymous photographer and model, Stuttgart, Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Latvia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model, Germany early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. Picture found in an English album of a young family during Victorian times. United Kingdom, 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Italy, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1940s.

Anonymous photographer and family. Germany 1950s.

Anonymous photographer. Christianne P.  German Democratic Republic (DDR) 1950s.

In the year 1881 this portrait of Marie Constance Nathalie Herode was made by photographer L. Cairol, who had his studio at Boulevard Oudinot in Oran, Algeria. (Thanks to Raymond Frenken)

Anonymous photographer and couple. German Democratic Republic DDR, 1970s

Anonymous photographer and model. German Democratic Republic DDR, 1970s

Anonymous photographer, Germany, 1950s.

Classmate of Nina A. Soviet Union 1950.

Anonymous photographer. From an album about the life of Ewald Heinemann (in the window bottom, left) who was killed in WW1. 1910s.

Anonymous photographer, Hengelo, the Netherlands, 1910s.

Anonymous photographer, Germany mid 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union 1950s.

Anonymous photographer, Germany 1930s.

Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union 1930s.

Anonymous photographer. Passport photo of unknown man. Soviet Union 1930s.

Photo from an album of an anonymous medical nurse who lived and worked in Scheveningen, the Netherlands in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. Passport picture of unknown lady. Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. Unknown lady. Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, model and dog. Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. Family life in Germany, 1960s.

Photo from an album of an anonymous medical nurse who lived and worked in Scheveningen, the Netherlands in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1950.  Photo given ‘in memory of our friendship’ to school friend Ninuha (Nina) by N. (could be Nadezhda, Natalia, Nina…) Pomytina.

Anonymous photographer and model, Germany early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, passport photo of an unknown girl. Germany 1950s.

Photo by an anonymous medical nurse who lived and worked in Scheveningen, the Netherlands in the early 20th century. The picture, showing her parents, is part of an album.

Anonymous photographer, Germany 1960s.

Anonymous photographer, Germany early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1950s.

Portrait of an unknown woman by Zacharias D Fraenkel Jr. who was born in 1878 and ran a photo studio at the Ceintuurbaan 123 (near the Ferdinand Bolstraat) Amsterdam around 1920. Little is known about Zacharias Fraenkels life but there are a few photo’s of his hand in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. We do know he was murdered in Auschwitz on the 24th of September 1942.

Anonymous photographer. Brussels, Belgium, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century. (unretouched)

Photo by Alexander Bassano (1829-1913) who was one of the most successful English photographers of the 19th century owning various studio’s. Between 1859 and 1863 he had a portrait studio at 72 Piccadilly, London West where this carte de visite portrait of Flora MacDonald Rivington was made. Her date of birth in Kolkata, West Bengal, India is unknown, but she died in 1917 in Worthing, West Sussex, England. She was married to the book printer Alexander Rivington (1837-1917) who died one month after she did. Alexander Bassano made world famous portraits of queen Victoria as well as the portrait of a pointing army general Lord Kitchener that was used in 1914 on a notorious poster saying: ‘Britons, I want you to join your country’s army’. The National Portrait Gallery in London houses the immense archive of the Bassano studio’s and has put more than 46.000 of his portraits online. Not this one :). Flora is the second Bassano portrait in our collection. 

Anonymous photographer and family. Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and soldiers, Soviet Union mid 20th century.

Picture by an anonymous photographer in an unknown country. Early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and ladies, Soviet Union, Belarus, 1930s.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union. Picture of Galya Muzheva presented ‘for memory’ to her dear friend Ninochka on the 19th of June 1950.

Photo by the Amsterdam photographer Hendricus W. J. Bickhoff (1866-1933). Part of a series of 27 photographs telling a staged story on the life in the Amsterdam citizen’s orphanage. (Burgerweeshuis Amsterdam, the building now houses the Amsterdam Museum). It was presented in a leather box to it’s former director J. Stork in 1904.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union 1950s.

Anonymous photographer and women, Soviet Union, 1930s.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.

Picture by anonymous German soldier. France. French prisoners of war, 1940s.

Anonymous photographer. Tennis Club Excelsior Delft, the Netherlands August 1900-1903 The picture is special because of all the names on the back (except the one of the photographer) In Dutch: 1: Karel van der Mandelen (onder boom), 2: Gebroeders Fabius, 3: Jo Post van der Burg, 4: Lie Post van der Burg, 5: Pietjie Verburg, 6: Betsy Knuttel, 7: Emy Arntzenius (op de grond), 8: Rien Damme (Vaandrig) 9: Marietje Knuttel 10: Lien Arntzenius, 11: Jo Snijders 12: Gerard Knuttel (op de grond), 13: Puk Fabius. Afwezig: Ans Braat en Cuup Snijders.

Anonymous photographer. Picture from an English album showing the life of a young family during Victorian times. United Kingdom, 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Haarlem, the Netherlands on the 5th of May 1945.

Anonymous photographer, unknown country, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, 1930s.

Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, fire in Dordrecht, the Netherlands 12th of April 1906

Anonymous photographer (distribution via: ‘Haagsch Illustratie en Persbureau, ‘s-Gravenhage’) The Netherlands, Limburg, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union 1960s.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century

On the 18th of September 1960 an anonymous German photographer took this picture of a white deer.

Anonymous photographer, mother and child. Unknown country, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, East Indies, Batavia (Indonesia, Jakarta) early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and couple. Soviet Union, mid 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1970s.

Anonymous photographer and soldiers. Soviet Union 1970s.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union 1930s.

Anonymous nazi photographer. Germany late 1930s or early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer, East Indies (Indonesia), late 19th century. Local care taker with children of Dutch colonials.

Picture by an anonymous German soldier. Eastern front, Soviet Union, early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer, Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and factory girl. Soviet Union, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, Scheveningen, 1910s.

Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer, Latvia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model, Italy, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, United States of America, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Thekla and Heiny, Utrecht, the Netherlands, 19th of August 1919.

Anonymous photographer, Russia, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Germany late 1930s – early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer, Russia, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1970s.

Anonymous photographer and couple, Germany early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1940s.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union 1960s.

Portrait of anonymous woman by Willem Johannes Petrus Muns (1869-1954). This picture was taken at Spui 7, (near Kalverstraat) Amsterdam in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model, United kingdom 1920s.

Anonymous photographer/retouche artist and model. Belgium, early 20th century.

Unknown set photographer. Advertising still to promote the French (filmed in Spain) spaghetti western ‘Les Pétroleuses’ (directed by Christian-Jaque) with Brigitte Bardot (left) and Claudia Cardinale (right) 1971.

Anonymous photographer, Paterswolde, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union 1970s.

Self portrait by an anonymous couple in an unknown country in the 1930s.

Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union 1930s.

Anonymous photographer and posing boy. Germany 1960s.

Anonymous photographer, picture dedicated to grandma Susana from Claudia, Vladimir and Irina. Soviet Union, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Queen Wilhelmina and princess Juliana in the royal train. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1970s.

Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union, 1970s.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union mid 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1970s.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, Belarus 1970s.

Anonymous photographer and model. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union 1930s.

Anonymous photographer. The Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer and musician. Soviet Union 1950s.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, Belarus, 1970s.

In 1889 photographer Corine Ingelse (1869-1950) opened her studio at the Westerstaat 11 in Utrecht, the Netherlands where she made this portrait of miss Agnes van Schilperoort. There might be more female photographers among the ‘anonymous artists’ we have posted in this series, but Corine Ingelse might be the only Dutch professional 19th century female photographer of whom we own a photograph.

Anonymous photographer, Germany, late 19th century.

Portrait of an unknown woman made in the studio WD Niestadt & Zoon, Schagen or Medemblik, The Netherlands, in the early 20th century. Wilhelm Diederich Niestadt (1851-1912) started his career as a tailor but opened in 1898 a photo studio in the town of Schagen, North Holland, the Netherlands with his son, Wilhelm Heinrich Niestadt (1879-1930). They later opened a second studio in the town Medemblik.

Anonymous photographer, unknown country, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and couple. Probably Belgium. On the backside a date: 20th of February 1920.

Photo of an unknown lady by Adolf Andresen – studio Stöckler in Sønderborg, Denmark in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. Unknown country, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Plymouth, United Kingdom, early 20th century.

Photo by Leo van Beurden in studio A. van Beurden. Tilburg, the Netherlands, 1930s. Adrianus van Beurden (1843-1915) founded a photo studio in the Wilhelm II straat 59 in Tilburg in 1869. After his death his son, Josephus van Beurden (1872-1930) continued the company leaving it in 1930 to his son Leo van Beurden (1905-1961).

Anonymous photographer and couple. The Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous nazi photographer. Germany late 1930s / early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer, unknown country and unknown sisters. Early 20th century.

Photo by an anonymous German soldier. Somewhere in Europe, early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer, Russia, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. Russia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1920s. (The photograph was addressed to L. Wijnberg who stayed at Hotel Monopool, Poznan, Poland.)

Anonymous photographer, Latvia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and family. The Hague, the Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer and model, the Netherlands 1930s.

Anonymous photographer, Italy, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and couple. Picture taken at Cinema Studios, 6 Wellington Street Woolwich, London United Kingdom in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, (picture post card) Soviet Union, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer and model. Soviet Union, 1950s.

Portrait of unknown girls by photographer Herman Vreugde who ran his studio named ‘Foto Rembrandt’ at Bloemenmarkt nr 7 in Roosendaal, the Netherlands in the 1930s.

Anonymous photographer, Kropfmuhl, Bavaria, Germany September 1928. Text on backside: ‘Georg und Klaus beim Angeln’

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1945. Veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, 1980s.

Anonymous photographer, Russia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. Soviet Union 1950s.

Anonymous photographer and Soviet Soldiers. Germany 1945.

Anonymous photographer, Soviet Union, early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer and cyclists. Georgia, Soviet Union, 1920s.

Anonymous photographer. Note on the back: ‘Best Wishes from George and Mabel’. United Kingdom, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, mother and child. East Indies (Indonesia) late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Russia, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer and model, Soviet Union, 1950s.

Photo made in Maassluis in the early 20th century by Levi Coltof (1861-1928). Levi Coltof was a former butcher who ran a photo studio in the Dutch village of Maassluis (near Rotterdam) from 1885 to 1911 before moving to Rotterdam and later The Hague. He was the father of Salomon Coltof (1884-unknown), Abraham Coltof (1886-1942) and Jacob Coltof (1891-1944).

Anonymous photographer and unknown woman. United Kingdom, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Prussia (Germany), early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands 1920s.

Anonymous photographer, korfbal team, the Netherlands early 20th century. (korfbal is a Dutch and Belgium ball game. The only team sports that has both male and female players.)

Anonymous photographer, France mid 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country, mid 19th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. North Africa, mid 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1920s.

Anonymous photographer and boy. The Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer but two names were written on the back of the picture: Mina Kesteloo and Jannetje Stam. The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Germany early 20th century.

Portrait by Cornelis Henning (1874-1944) (or someone working in one of his studio’s) of unknown couple in Vlissingen or Middelburg, Zeeland (Zealand) the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Java, East Indies (Indonesia) early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, East Indies (Indonesia). Dutch men and local women, dressed up as Japanese on board of a Dutch merchant schip. Colonial period, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.

Photo by photographer/miniature portrait painter Jno Howe who ran his company in Hart street Ulverston, United Kingdom in the 1880s

Anonymous photographer and model, Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous fair photographer, German soldiers in Paris, somewhere between 1940 and 1944.

Anonymous photographer, unknown Asian country, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, 1950s.

Photo by an anonymous German soldier, somewhere in Europe, early 1940s.

Self portrait by an anonymous German tourist in Italy, 1910.

Anonymous photographer (dad?) The Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and models. East Indies (Indonesia) early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, province Brabant, The Netherlands, late 19th or early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, German Democratic Republic (DDR) 1960s.

Anonymous photographer, 1th of May 1909. Netherlands. At the Dam square, the people of Amsterdam celebrate the birth of princess (later queen) Juliana (30-4-1909 – 20-3-2004).

Photo by an anonymous Dutch soldier. Indonesia (Dutch East Indies), 1947, during the military attempt by the Netherlands to suppress the Indonesian call for independence from Dutch colonial rule.

Tiny original print of a photo by Waldo van Suchtelen (1918-1993) made on the Amsterdam Leidseplein square, in the summer of 1941. Actor Jan van Herwijnen (1921-1984), walking naked in an attempt to become famous. He was arrested by the Dutch police (working under German occupation) and taken to a mental institution. Jan van Herwijnen was the son of painter Jan van Herwijnen (1889-1965) and the uncle of actor Carel van Herwijnen (1941-2008). After the war photographer Waldo van Suchtelen was the first person to win the ‘Silver Camera’, the annual prize for Dutch photojournalism. (Source Amsterdam city archive and theatre encyclopedia) The archive of Waldo van Suchtelen is at the Maria Austria institute MAI.

Anonymous photographer, Russia, 1914.

Portrait by Abraham Salomon Weinberg (1869-1932) of unkown girl from Groningen, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, unknown bakery, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, unknown town, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, unknown ladies. Italy, early 20th century.

Photo by G. Compiègne who ran his photo company from 54 Rue de Paris, Noyon, France in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and sleeping beauty, The Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer. Unknown country, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and boy. Germany, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and family. Germany early 20th century. The Hanomag (Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG) 2/10 PS was a German car from 1925 with one head light, wooden wheels and a reed bodywork. Also great: you could open the front window to get a fresh breeze in your face. It was the first German car that was built via a production line. There were 15.000 cars produced like this one. It was be best selling car of the Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG factory during the financial crisis in the early 20th century.

Picture by an anonymous German soldier of two also unknown German soldiers who seem to be playing an act. Somewhere in Europe. Early 1940s.

Anonymous photographer, East Indies (Indonesia), Dutch colonial period, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, unknown country, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer at unknown primary school. The Netherlands, late 19th century.

Sibling of Henry Joseph Whitlock (1835-1918), portrait of unknown lady. Cardiff, United Kingdom, 1930s. Information from the archive of the National Portrait Gallery (UK): Henry Joseph Whitlock, photographer; son of Joseph Whitlock and older brother of Frederick Whitlock. Henry’s father Joseph Whitlock was the first person to establish a permanent photographic studio in Birmingham, in 1843. In 1852 Henry Whitlock joined the family firm, and three years later he left Birmingham to set up his own studio in Worcester. He returned to Birmingham in 1862, after the death of both his parents, and founded the firm H.J. Whitlock & Sons of Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Anonymous photographer, Germany, 1920s.

Anonymous photographer and newly weds, Latvia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Belgium, 1914-1918.

Anonymous photographer and model in an unknown country. Early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Italy, early 20th century.

Portrait by photographer A. Hazekamp of an unknown couple. Village Oostwold, province Groningen, the Netherlands, late 19th century

Anonymous press photographer. Picture post card. Lille, Belgium, 13 October 1914.

Anonymous photographer, unknown family, unknown country. Early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Germany early 20th century.

Anonymous model. Portrait made in the early 20th century at the National Studio, 114 Court Street in Boston, USA by an anonymous photographer.

Anonymous photographer. German Democratic Republic 1970s.

Anonymous studio photographer, unknown child. United Kingdom, late 19th century.

Portrait of an anonymous woman by Fritz Palm who had a photo studio in Tangermünde an der Elbe, Germany in the early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and bride, the Netherlands, 1950s.

Anonymous photographer, unknown family situation, the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and model. Italy, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer and family. The Netherlands, mid 20th century.

An anonymous photographer took this picture of an anonymous model in an unknown country. It must have happened in the early 20th century.

Photo by Georgy Ugrinovich. Soviet Union, August 16, 1944. Guarded by the Soviet army, defeated nazi officers and soldiers are being driven trough the streets of Kiev (now Kyiv, Ukraine). Thanks to Valeriy Miloserdov who regognized the photo as being made by Georgy Ugrinovich.

Picture by anonymous German soldier 1940s. Eastern front during WW2. Prisoners of war in the Soviet Union captured by the invading German army.

Anonymous photographer, East Indies (Indonesia) colonised by the Netherlands, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. Souvenir picture of KNIL soldiers (Royal Netherlands East Indies Army), early 20th century. ‘Batavia’ was the flagship of the Dutch East India Company. It was built in Amsterdam in 1628. Batavia set sail on her maiden voyage for Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies colony. The ship failed to reach its destination when it wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos off the coast of Western Australia, killing approximately 40 of its 341 passengers. A mutiny occurred soon after, leading to a massacre among the survivors.

Anonymous photographer, Germany, military hospital, 1914-1918

Anonymous photographer and couple. Unknown country. On the back of the photograph: ’24th of December 1950, Here we go!’

Anonymous photographer, Nazi officers somewhere in Europe, early 1940s.

Anonymous studio photographer and posing family. East Indies (Indonesia) late 19th or early 20th century .

Anonymous photographer, liberation of Amsterdam, 8th of May 1945.

Anonymous photographer and model, Germany, 1920s.

Anonymous photographer, a Dutch colonial family living in the East Indies (Indonesia), late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, Berlin, Germany 1910s.

Anonymous photographer, image from a photo album of a Dutch colonial family living in the East Indies (Indonesia) in the early 20th century.

Unknown British army photographer, 1914-1918, Western front WW1.

Anonymous photographer, Amsterdam, Jan Luijkenstraat 2 late 19th century/early 20th century. Home of architect Eduard Cuypers (18-04-1859 – 01-05-1927) next to the Rijksmuseum that was build by his uncle Pierre Cuypers (1827-1921).

Anonymous photographer, USA, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Italy, early 20th century.

Unknown photographer, Oostende, Belgium, late 19th century

Photo of an unknown child by studio Stainier-Hannet, Antwerp, Belgium, 1890s. In 1889 Fortuné Stainier married Jeanne Hannet, the oldest daughter of Swiss-Belgium photographer Philippe Hannet. In 1894 Fortuné took over the studio of his father-in-law in Antwerp where this picture must have been taken. The studio closed in 1902.

Anonymous photographer and model from an unknown country. Early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, wedding of an unknown couple in Latvia, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, France, Paris, Early 20th century. Souvenir picture. French interpretation of Dutch costumes.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands 1930s.

Anonymous photographer, Latvia, early 20th century.

Picture by an anonymous German Luftwaffe soldier flying somewhere in Europe, 1941.

Photo by A. Visfer (or Visler) Amateur photographer in Rotterdam, Netherlands, late 19th century.

Anonymous photographer, unknown country, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, the Netherlands, beach (probably Scheveningen), early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. United Kingdom, early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer. 8th of May 1945, Leidsestraat Amsterdam, Netherlands. Liberation of Amsterdam.

Portrait of ‘a lady from Benghazi’ taken in Rome in 1911 by – or at least in the studio of – Emilio Montesi. ‘Tutti in giardino’, all in the garden, the back side of the picture tells us.

Anonymous photographer, Russia (?), early 20th century.

Anonymous photographer, Germany 1930s.

Somewhere on a street in the Netherlands, on the 11th of May 1904, sister J. W. Vonk made this picture of Dora, grandma and Anny Slierendrecht. Sister Vonk did not bother to write down the names of the two men, so they will stay anonymous for the time being.