Helmut Gernsheim

Helmut Gernsheim (1913-1995) is considered a pioneer of the history of photography: very early on he recognized the medium as an art form in its own right, and he devoted much of his life to rigorous research in the field. In 1945, he laid the cornerstone for the now-famous Gernsheim Collection with his discovery of long-forgotten masterpieces from the early years of photography, including the oldest surviving photographic image, a picture dating from 1826-27. His sensational find established Nicéphore Niépce-and not Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre-as the inventor of photography. Gernsheim organized his first photo exhibitions in the early fifties. His monumental History of Photography was published in 1955 and translated into numerous languages. In 2002, the contemporary section of Gernsheim's photo collection, including his own photographs, his entire archive, and his extensive library, became part of the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim. This lavishly illustrated book devoted to Helmut Gernsheim's work as a historian, collector, and photographer is being published in commemoration of his ninetieth birthday. It offers a unique look at twentieth-century photography and an invaluable contribution to international research on the history of photography. Exhibition schedule: Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Mannheim, October 12, 2003 - January 18, 2004