Selected Publications

Werner Bischof – Unseen Colour, German Edition

Swiss photographer Werner Bischof (1916–54) is best known for his impressive black-and-white images, most of which were taken on expeditions as a reporter in postwar Europe and during the Indochina War (1946–54), and on his travels in the Far East and South America. Far too little known are Bischof’s early color photographs, comprising studio work in fashion and advertising photography as well as reportage from war-damaged European cities. For these, Bischof used various types of camera, including a Devin Tricolor. This elaborate color-separation device exposed three monochrome plates in a single exposure, each of them equipped with a color filter so that a true color print was subsequently made by addition of the three monochrome negatives. Some 200 of Bischof’s Devin Tricolor negatives have been restored and a selection of them is published for the first time ever in this book.

The beautifully illustrated volume is fascinating not only from a photo-historical perspective. Even these early color images reveal Bischof’s outstanding, sensitive aesthetic that characterizes his entire oeuvre. 102 color plates are supplemented with texts by Clara Bouveresse, the French photography historian, Peter Pfrunder, the director of the Fotostiftung Schweiz in Winterthur, and Luc Debraine, the director of the Swiss Camera Museum in Vevey.

179 Seiten
21 x 24 cm
Scheidegger & Spiess. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem MASI Lugano und der Fotostiftung Schweiz
1. Auflage 2023
ISBN 978-3-03942-129-9

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Werner Bischof – Backstory

This new monograph captures the life and work of a Magnum great, Swiss photographer Werner Bischof (1916-54), and features his most iconic images, as well as insight into his life as a photojournalist and artist.

Known for his postwar social documentary work, Bischof was inspired to become a journalist after the ruin of World War II left him unable to remain a passive observer. He traveled documenting both the suffering of the postwar world and the day-to-day life within traditional cultures affected by industry and technology.

This expansive collection brings together these photographs, organized geographically—Europe, India, Japan and Korea, Hong Kong, Indochina, and North and South America. Accompanying the photographs are the contact sheets, letters, diaries and sketches that give an intimate glimpse into his creative process, revealing the highlights and struggles, and his vulnerability.

The book traces Bischof’s far-reaching search for human connection through storytelling and is a testament to his relentless obsession to find harmony and beauty. In the words of Simon Maurer, his photographs open up worlds. And true to this quote, this book provides a time capsule of the postwar world, opened up by the compelling and profound story of the life of this adventurous artist.

Format: Hardback
Number of pages: 311
Publication date: 2016-04-26
Measurements: 12 x 10 x 1.3 inches
ISBN: 9781597113526

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Werner Bischof – Standpunkt

Das Buch zum 100. Geburtstag: Leben und Schaffen des legendären Magnum-Fotografen.

2016 könnte der berühmte Schweizer Fotograf Werner Bischof (1916–1954) seinen 100. Geburtstag feiern. Zu diesem Anlass erzählt dieses Buch das Leben und Schaffen des fotografischen Zeitzeugen aus einer neuen Perspektive: Erstmals werden neben den weltbekannten Fotografien unveröffentlichte Aufnahmen, Zeichnungen, Briefe und Tagebucheinträge aus dem Nachlass präsentiert. Bischofs Biografie, sein fotografisches Credo und die Reiseeindrücke werden durch seine Bilder und Worte lebendig.

Werner Bischof begann als Studio- und Werbefotograf, wandte sich nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg jedoch der Reportagefotografie zu. Zuerst dokumentierte er das kriegsversehrte Europa, ab 1951 reiste er im Mittleren und Fernen Osten, dann in Nord- und Südamerika. Schon ab 1949 war Bischof Mitglied der 1947 gegründeten Agentur Magnum Photos, reiste für sie und angesehene Zeitschriften wie Life, Paris Match, Picture Post oder Du. 1954 verunglückte der Fotograf tödlich in den peruanischen Anden. Er hinterliess ein Werk von Weltrang.

Fotografien, Zeichnungen und Texte von Werner Bischof. Mit Beiträgen von Marco Bischof, Kristen Lubben und Fred Ritchin. Herausgegeben vom Werner Bischof Estate, Marco Bischof und Tania Samara Kuhn

1. Auflage, 2016
Gebunden
312 Seiten, 135 farbige und 150 Duplex-Abbildungen
25 x 30 cm
ISBN 978-3-85881-508-8

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Werner Bischof Estate
Am Wasser 55
CH-8049 Zurich
Switzerland
info@wernerbischof.com

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