JOURNAL ARTICLE

Ordinary Weimar: Global Press Photography, 'Distant Seeing' and the Normalcy of Crisis in the 1920s.

  • Published In: German History, 2023, v. 41, n. 4. P. 556 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Zierenberg, Malte 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines press photography in 1920s Germany, emphasizing its role as a large-scale industry that disseminated thousands of images to a broad public, rather than focusing solely on iconic photographs or singular events. Using the Berlin-based photo agency Aktuelle-Bilder-Centrale (A-B-C) founded by Georg Pahl as a case study, it highlights the transnational flow of images that shaped a shared visual culture, linking local German news with global events and fostering a perception of Weimar society as comparatively "normal" amid modern crises. The article argues that this international exchange of press photographs contributed to a homogenized iconography of the present, challenging narrower interpretations of Weimar as solely a society in crisis. It calls for a broader, industry-focused approach to understanding the visual media landscape of the Weimar Republic and its integration into global communication networks.

Additional Information

  • Source:German History. 2023/12, Vol. 41, Issue 4, p556
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Politics and Government
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0266-3554
  • DOI:10.1093/gerhis/ghad046
  • Accession Number:173781986
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