Marble
University of Notre Dame
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Frankfurt Station

Date

1926

Creator

Paul Wolff

Location

Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

In 1912 the German engineer Oskar Barnack developed a small, portable camera to use the same 35mm roll film as movie projectors. It had excellent lenses and precision mechanics and produced small, diapositive slides that could be projected onto a wall or screen. The camera was accompanied by a precision enlarger system for making prints. In 1923 Ernst Leitz II made prototypes of Barnack’s camera for testing by professional photographers. Paul Wolff was one of the first experts to receive the "Leica" miniature camera. With this instrument he developed an instinct for finding the perfect spot for taking the picture with a focal length he had already selected. One of Wolff’s favorite haunts was the Frankfurt Railway Station, with its cavernous spaces and shifting interior light. In 1933 Wolff published My Experiences with the Leica, a perennially popular book that encouraged and instructed generations of amateur photographers. from Touchstones of the Twentieth Century: A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame (exhibition, 2020-21)

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In 1912 the German engineer Oskar Barnack developed a small, portable camera to use the same 35mm roll film as movie projectors. It had excellent lenses and precision mechanics and produced small, diapositive slides that could be projected onto a wall or screen. The camera was accompanied by a precision enlarger system for making prints. In 1923 Ernst Leitz II made prototypes of Barnack’s camera for testing by professional photographers. Paul Wolff was one of the first experts to receive the "Leica" miniature camera. With this instrument he developed an instinct for finding the perfect spot for taking the picture with a focal length he had already selected. One of Wolff’s favorite haunts was the Frankfurt Railway Station, with its cavernous spaces and shifting interior light. In 1933 Wolff published My Experiences with the Leica, a perennially popular book that encouraged and instructed generations of amateur photographers. from Touchstones of the Twentieth Century: A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame (exhibition, 2020-21)
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  • In 1912 the German engineer Oskar Barnack developed a small, portable camera to use the same 35mm roll film as movie projectors. It had excellent lenses and precision mechanics and produced small, diapositive slides that could be projected onto a wall or screen. The camera was accompanied by a precision enlarger system for making prints. In 1923 Ernst Leitz II made prototypes of Barnack’s camera for testing by professional photographers. Paul Wolff was one of the first experts to receive the "Leica" miniature camera. With this instrument he developed an instinct for finding the perfect spot for taking the picture with a focal length he had already selected. One of Wolff’s favorite haunts was the Frankfurt Railway Station, with its cavernous spaces and shifting interior light. In 1933 Wolff published My Experiences with the Leica, a perennially popular book that encouraged and instructed generations of amateur photographers. from Touchstones of the Twentieth Century: A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame (exhibition, 2020-21)
  • In 1912 the German engineer Oskar Barnack developed a small, portable camera to use the same 35mm roll film as movie projectors. It had excellent lenses and precision mechanics and produced small, diapositive slides that could be projected onto a wall or screen. The camera was accompanied by a precision enlarger system for making prints. In 1923 Ernst Leitz II made prototypes of Barnack’s camera for testing by professional photographers. Paul Wolff was one of the first experts to receive the "Leica" miniature camera. With this instrument he developed an instinct for finding the perfect spot for taking the picture with a focal length he had already selected. One of Wolff’s favorite haunts was the Frankfurt Railway Station, with its cavernous spaces and shifting interior light. In 1933 Wolff published My Experiences with the Leica, a perennially popular book that encouraged and instructed generations of amateur photographers. from Touchstones of the Twentieth Century: A History of Photography at the University of Notre Dame (exhibition, 2020-21)
Paul Wolff (German, 1887 - 1951)
1926
Photographs
Gelatin silver print
2011.014
daylight
railroad stations
stairs
travelers
© Estate of Dr. Paul Wolff
Not on view, please request access
9 1/2 x 7 in. (24.13 x 17.78 cm)
Milly and Fritz Kaeser Endowment for Photography

Our collection information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. If you have spotted an error, please contact Raclin Murphy Museum of Art at RMMACollections@nd.edu.