Seventy five year old photographs ... Roll #16 Vienna (a fitting end)

Keith

Keith

The best camera is one that still works!
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Following on from roll #15 posted in this thread.

This roll is so incredibly appropriate in it's content that it has to be pure serendipity that it became the one that ends this amazing journey.

The roll was obviously all shot in one day ... it starts of at the 45 acre family home known as 'Villa Mendl' (there are photos in the book to verify this) and finishes in down town Vienna. It contains photos of her brother Otto, a photo of her travelling companion Maria and some excellent street portraits of Bettina obviously taken by her brother as they spend the rest of the day in Vienna. The roll ends with two excellent street photographs of what looks to be a very beautiful city.

All so appropriate ... I think I'm going to cry! LOL


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Very nice conclusion. The appreciation of light and lighting, the backlit Otto (?) in theatrical pose boldly placed in the corner of the frame, the moment mid-stride when the sun strikes his shoulder in the wonderful setting of the cobbles encircling the tree. That looks a fast lens in his hands and in use in the street judging by the out of focus areas. Which Barnack is it?
 
Richard G said:
Very nice conclusion. The appreciation of light and lighting, the backlit Otto (?) in theatrical pose boldly placed in the corner of the frame, the moment mid-stride when the sun strikes his shoulder in the wonderful setting of the cobbles encircling the tree. That looks a fast lens in his hands and in use in the street judging by the out of focus areas. Which Barnack is it?
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I'm sure some gearhead will tell us! :D

I think her use of lighting was a little unconventional for the time. Light source behind you ... not if you're Bettina Mendl! :p
 
I know Vienna pretty well. The country-ish scenes look like Hietzing, in the thirteenth district. I think I recognise that little church. In the eighteenth shot, I am fairly sure they are on Seilerstätte looking south-east to Krugerstrasse in the first district - you can see the sign for Krugerstrasse in the bokeh.

Thanks again for sharing,

Marty
 
Again, really great shots. Apparently the whole family enjoyed the use of cameras. I too am curious which Barnack. But that isn't the fascination with these photos. They are generally well composed, well lighted, cross between family snapshots and good scenics. Of course, I know your skills have played no small part in this Keith. Well Done. Thanks. Did you find you had to do a lot of PP with all these, or just some?

As has already been commented on, the lighting in some of the shots is striking. One has to wonder if it was intentional or serendipitous. It certainly gives the photos a life they wouldn't have had without it.

Any idea what the first building portrayed is? It doesn't look like a residence. One has to wonder what was the fascination of the country shots to the photographer. I am intrigued by all the scenic shots. Scenics of that sort aren't easy to render in b/w. Yet they mostly have been. Interesting to hear that one poster can still recognize areas that were photographed so long ago. I don't think that would happen in a lot of places in the world.

Thanks again for all these Keith. I also appreciate the links between all of them. It makes it easier to navigate between threads in this series. That is something I have found myself doing. Trying to fit myself in the minds of the various photo-takers. It's an interesting journey for me as well. I think we sometimes forget, as small as the world has gotten, how exotic a trip she made on her jaunt. In post WWII coverage of the world, even Hawaii was a long way off to those of us in the continental USA. Places like Java, India, even Australia, were things you read about, maybe. No one ever expected to actually visit them in their life time. She did, and in a pre-WWII times.
 
oftheherd said:
Again, really great shots. Apparently the whole family enjoyed the use of cameras. I too am curious which Barnack. But that isn't the fascination with these photos. They are generally well composed, well lighted, cross between family snapshots and good scenics. Of course, I know your skills have played no small part in this Keith. Well Done. Thanks. Did you find you had to do a lot of PP with all these, or just some?

As has already been commented on, the lighting in some of the shots is striking. One has to wonder if it was intentional or serendipitous. It certainly gives the photos a life they wouldn't have had without it.

Any idea what the first building portrayed is? It doesn't look like a residence. One has to wonder what was the fascination of the country shots to the photographer. I am intrigued by all the scenic shots. Scenics of that sort aren't easy to render in b/w. Yet they mostly have been. Interesting to hear that one poster can still recognize areas that were photographed so long ago. I don't think that would happen in a lot of places in the world.

Thanks again for all these Keith. I also appreciate the links between all of them. It makes it easier to navigate between threads in this series. That is something I have found myself doing. Trying to fit myself in the minds of the various photo-takers. It's an interesting journey for me as well. I think we sometimes forget, as small as the world has gotten, how exotic a trip she made on her jaunt. In post WWII coverage of the world, even Hawaii was a long way off to those of us in the continental USA. Places like Java, India, even Australia, were things you read about, maybe. No one ever expected to actually visit them in their life time. She did, and in a pre-WWII times.
Click to expand...


I think it's the rear of the house ... the tradesman's entrance so to speak and where the family hangs out. :D

As for the country shots ... that's the estate! Everything shown aside from the pics in Vienna is the family home ... tough life! :p


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Fitting to finally meet the photographer in the last images.

The scythe-cut fields, with the city in the distance are quite idyllic.

Thank you Keith for posting these up. It's easily been the most interesting thread on RFF.

Charlie
 
The shots of Vienna that's right were I live. So if you come to Vienna one day, please notify me and I can show you the exact spot (it's close to the operahouse)
Thanks for posting
 
I have just been lurking and enjoying this journey quietly until now, but I wanted to say thanks for posting these and letting us all experience this trip around the world and back through time!
 
Keith, this has been a tremendous effort on your part to let the rest of us view what you have produced with your scanner/time machine. At times it is difficult to comprehend that this small group of people you have brought to life, especially in the last roll, are now long gone. It is also difficult to realize that the lives they led would so shortly be completely torn assunder by the storm clouds that were gathering over all of Europe. Kind of makes one wonder what the next five years will bring for many of us. Keep recording our todays on film for those fortunate enough to view it in the future! Thanks again, Keith, for this great effort, and for the frequent views of things in OZ for those of us half a world away. GF
 
What a fantastic project. And many thanks for the many hours of hard labour you put into it. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Peter
 
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