The Hautmann Collection

The photographer and sculptor Anton Hautmann (1821–1862) is considered one of the pioneers of stereoscopic photography and is best known for his architectural views and cityscapes. In 1858 he opened a photo studio in Florence, which his family continued to run after his early death and then used as an art gallery until 1906.
The Hautmann Collection of the Photothek consists of a large batch of negative glass plates, individual paper prints, drawings, printing blocks, and archival fragments, as well as stereoscopic images and family albums dating from the time Anton Hautmann was active until the closing of his family’s art gallery. 
The collection lends itself as a starting point for various research projects – such as on nineteenth-century photographic laboratory practices, on photography as a tool and medium for sculptural and painterly work, and on aspects of spatial vision and photography around 1860 – as well as for monographic studies and studies on the history of themes. 
The online exhibition provides insights into the Hautmann Collection regarding the wide range of subjects photographed, the materiality and techniques of the negatives, as well as conservation treatment and digitisation and the associated challenges. Also presented will be the artistic work of photo artist Micaela Mau, who explores the transient nature of the negatives.

Go to the online exhibition