ID this pic: Parisian (?) kids ca. 1975-80 (?)

Doesn't look too much like Berlin to me - it must be on a fairly steep hill to have the courtyard two flights of steps down from the road, and Berlin's pretty flat. The buildings are a bit too tall to be English either.

Nice picture though.
 
Positively not Berlin or Vienna (nor Zurich) - you'll find neither sliding windows nor outdoor plumbing in German speaking countries.

France is the best guess, adjacent parts of Belgium, Italy and Spain (or indeed the entire coastline down to Portugal) would not be entirely impossible. In the UK, barely anything but Edinburgh would fit steepness of terrain and buildings.

But then, of course, there are very European fragments of Architecture in many former colonies, and strangely outlandish bits of architecture do occur all across Europe, and either are popular photographic subjects for their exoticism.

Some of the clothes are positively late sixties at the earliest. Hence, the original guess at mid seventies to eighties does not seem that far out.

Sevo
 
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There are stairways like this in Paris. I'm thinking in the 11th arrondisment or maybe the 19th ..... Problem was, I lived there at the turn of the century, and that far back is taxing my memory. If I think about it, I will ask my Parisian wife!

Dave
 
It definitely looks like a school yard: see the gate at the top of the stairs, the awning on the right, the large windows of the building on the left, no cars. The pavement has been multipatched and dug up, using concrete. So I would guess the 70s with that bubble coat, stuffed coat of the centre child. At a sudden early or very late cold spell, the tree is still or already in leaves, but the children were all prepared for that, so maybe it was further north than we think.

Maybe it was a photographer director of old. Is there any history of your hospital around to read up on hobbies, retirements, comments, to see pictures someone took that show similar skills?
 
My colleague in Paris' opinion

My colleague in Paris' opinion

This is what my colleague who grew up in Paris came up with:

I think this could have been taken in Paris in a low rise building area, although the top floor window of the background building seems a bit provincial, I can still imagine these kids running out in the courtyard in between houses like in Montmartre ( 18th disctrict or in the 19th disctrict., belleville could be a possibility ( 20th) it could be also in the 5th or 6th district close to the arene of Lutece The kids are not from the magreb, this is certainly still chilly outside, all kids are well dressed probably kids wear hats, cagoule and genreally seems like expensive boots!
 
I mentioned to the owner of the print that it had generated world-wide interest. She will try once more to locate the former owner of the picture and has allowed me to open the frame if her efforts are unproductive.
 
looks like south london to me, but we're all guessing, it could be anywhere- even an architectural anomaly on the other side of the world. if there is nothing printed on the back you're a bit stuck really.
 
Ten Children

Ten Children

The Photo was shot with a Hasselblad, about 20 years ago in Paris, on Agfapan 100, printed on an Agfa fibre base paper.

The child in the front is the daughter of the photographer's friend.

Photo was a capture, not planned.

Title is "Ten Children", if it is an original, it should be signed, he sold prints as well.

Photographer is Herb Ascherman, from Cleveland Heights.

Herb and I both love Paris, but I think he hung around Montparnasse, but it is not too far from the 5th and 6th Arr.

It is to me, very much a universal street shot, very well done, normally, if it is an original print it should be square full frame.

Herb's work was sometimes used on the packages of Agfa paper, he worked extensively in Paris, doing a great series on bridges with a Fuji 6x17, I think he is still doing film, I know he did a series of platinum prints from enlarged 6x17 negatives.

Excellent photographer. He has been known to carry a Leica when he is walking about casually.

Have to get over to see him.

Love the thread, am sure Herb will want to check it out.
 
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Micky D said:
To me it looks much older than that, much older.
I'm not sure about Paris, but I'd say it was european.
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It looks like Paris to me. Even 14th or 15th arrondissement, if I may be so bold. Or 6th. Well, there are so many possibilities...

Hard to date, though, as a lot of Parisian children are still seen "well dressed," by Western standards :D
 
JohnTF said:
The Photo was shot with a Hasselblad, about 20 years ago in Paris, on Agfapan 100, printed on an Agfa fibre base paper.

The child in the front is the daughter of the photographer's friend.

Photo was a capture, not planned.

Title is "Ten Children", if it is an original, it should be signed, he sold prints as well.

Photographer is Herb Ascherman, from Cleveland Heights.

Herb and I both love Paris, but I think he hung around Montparnasse, but it is not too far from the 5th and 6th Arr.

It is to me, very much a universal street shot, very well done, normally, if it is an original print it should be square full frame.

Herb's work was sometimes used on the packages of Agfa paper, he worked extensively in Paris, doing a great series on bridges with a Fuji 6x17, I think he is still doing film, I know he did a series of platinum prints from enlarged 6x17 negatives.

Excellent photographer. He has been known to carry a Leica when he is walking about casually.

Have to get over to see him.

Love the thread, am sure Herb will want to check it out.
Click to expand...

And of course, I was replying before I saw your post. Duh.

Your friend would probably like to know how this found its way into an office :cool:
 
Gabriel M.A. said:
And of course, I was replying before I saw your post. Duh.

Your friend would probably like to know how this found its way into an office :cool:
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Yeah, I saw John's post before the edited, fuller version too and wondered if he had the answer.



The Photo was shot with a Hasselblad, about 20 years ago in Paris, on Agfapan 100, printed on an Agfa fibre base paper.

The child in the front is the daughter of the photographer's friend.

Photo was a capture, not planned.

Title is "Ten Children", if it is an original, it should be signed, he sold prints as well.

Photographer is Herb Ascherman, from Cleveland Heights.

Herb and I both love Paris, but I think he hung around Montparnasse, but it is not too far from the 5th and 6th Arr.

It is to me, very much a universal street shot, very well done, normally, if it is an original print it should be square full frame.

Herb's work was sometimes used on the packages of Agfa paper, he worked extensively in Paris, doing a great series on bridges with a Fuji 6x17, I think he is still doing film, I know he did a series of platinum prints from enlarged 6x17 negatives.

Excellent photographer. He has been known to carry a Leica when he is walking about casually.

Have to get over to see him.

Love the thread, am sure Herb will want to check it out.
Click to expand...

It's easy to say with hindsight but I really had an inkling the photographer may had been someone (some of) the kids knew - they are running towards him and they are laughing. Could easily not had been the case of course.

Compliments to the photographer for the wonderful shot. And to you for the answer to the mystery.
 
I felt a little guilty ending the mystery, perhaps we can just delete these posts and see where it goes? ;-) And, it is probably a great photo to hang in an office, hard to find all ten children, but my print is dated 87, and is signed on the mat in pencil. Herb framed my print, and the mat is 100% rag.

I had some conversations with Herb on processing, I know he also used Rodinal. He had a direct connection with Agfa and they shipped his paper directly to him. I actually saw one of his other prints on a pack of their paper when they were printing examples of fine prints made with Agfa products on their packages.

Herb was kind enough to look at some of my work and gave me some excellent advice, he employed a master printer full time.

I was also shooting Agfapan in Rodinal, but using the 400 as I was using a Fuji 690WIII, and I needed the speed for the slower lens, but the negatives were larger.


I thought it was an interesting thread, maybe we can make it a regular feature?

Was a very popular shot of his here, so that he did have a litho made and people framed those, but they had the info printed on the bottom.

I used to spend about a month in Paris in the summers about that time, and for some reason I thought it was in the 5th or 6th Arr. but have not talked to Herb for a few years. Herb is one of those guys who gets good work pretty much every time he goes out with a camera.

The original print was very well made and archivally processed, may have been Brovira.

Regards, John
 
i cant believe it is solved - it was a very interesting thread. i hope more mystery photographs will be posted here in future. and of course - thank you john for solving it!
 
Micky D said:
To me it looks much older than that, much older.
I'm not sure about Paris, but I'd say it was european.
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mostly sure it is paris, I live there, there is a lot of places like this. The building in the back is mostly parisian.

The kid in the back, on the right , wears a not so old coat , maybe 1980' or 1970 :)


will try to find the exact place :)
 
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