Pressefotografie. Die Anfänge in Deutschland, ausgehend von einer Kritik bisheriger Forschungsansätze. (The beginnings of press photography in Germany, based on a critique of research hitherto carried out)

Part One of a series of articles on the beginnings of
press-photography in Germany. The author opens his article with
the statement: ""the history of the photographic image as a
means of public communication has been feebly researched. German
universities do little on this topic - neither in the so-called
Visual Communications department nor in Mass-Media
departments''. The article gives a pertinent overview of
research done in Germany on photographs used in the illustrated
press, including illustrations made 'after a Daguerreotype'
(1848) etc. Earlier research on press photography by writers
such as Tim Gidal is criticised for concentrating too much on
daily newspapers to the detriment of weekly magazines. An
account is given of various developments regarding printing
techniques used for illustrations, methods of layout, the
technical development of 'snapshot' photography, and the
evolution of illustrated magazines. Figures given for 1883 and
1906 in regard of the relative amount of illustrations in the
Illustrirte Zeitung are surprising: 45% vs. 53% (surface count).
The history of the direct printing of photographs in Germany is
researched, the first case being traced to the Illustrierte
Zeitung, 1883. The first printed 'snap-shot' photographs were
made by Ottomar Anschütz in 1884. The year 1896 is seen as a
watershed: in 4 years the amount of Autotypies (directly printed
photographs) per issue increased tenfold. New photographic
topics make their way into the illustrated magazine: sports,
snapshots ""from behind the closed curtains'' of courts and
politics. This first article in the series is concluded by a
selection of some 30 illustrated magazine titles, including
foundation date, circulation figures and publisher.