From the history of Bydgoszcz photo studios until 1939
Bydgoszcz is a city with a rich history in the field of photography, dating back to the first half of the 19th century. The early form of photography, involving the process of capturing an image on a silvered copper plate, arrived in Bydgoszcz in April 1844, thanks to the itinerant daguerreotypist Augusta Wesenberg from Königsberg. The first photographer who decided to open a photographic studio in Bydgoszcz was Ludwig Friedlaender, a engraver from the nearby town of Fordon, in the year 1848. From that moment on, photographic studios gradually appeared in Bydgoszcz. In the last decade of the 19th century, there were already six photographic studios in operation, and with the beginning of the next century, their number increased. Among the photographers, there were also women. The pioneering photographers of Bydgoszcz left a rich legacy, not only in the form of studio portraits taken on commission but also in photographs captured in the city's urban space. Numerous shots of Bydgoszcz streets, squares, and parks immortalized the image of the once vibrant city. City photographs often appeared on postcards, popularizing Bydgoszcz beyond its borders. The permanent exhibition at the headquarters of the Fotografistka Foundation will be an opportunity to see photographs from the most well-known and popular photographic studios in Bydgoszcz.
Curator: Katarzyna Gębarowska
Permanent Exhibition at Fotografistka Gallery.
Exhibition opening hours:
Monday - Friday; 12.00 PM - 4.00 PM