A World of Pictures unbound

The first twenty years after the invention of photography were marked by pioneers and experiments before the technical medium entered a phase of enormous dynamics. The foundation of the Photographic Society in Vienna in 1861 was a crucial event within the beginning professionalization of the production of pictures which was to pervade all spheres of life. Whether as scientific proof in a laboratory or studio portrait, a picture postcard in front of a tourist attraction or a large-size reproduction of a museum’s work of art, whether serving the purposes of industry, trade, or public administration – the photograph conquered new terrains in an ever more perfect quality and multiple numbers. 

Presenting about 260 outstanding examples of Austrian photography dating from before 1945, the exhibition in the ALBERTINA Museum will shed light on both the range and quality of the pictures produced by the Photographic Society’s members. Exhibits from the fields of art, science, and innovative applications of commercial photography convey a fascinating impression of the paths leading into today’s flood of images.