August Sander
photographer
August Sander (1876–1964) was a prominent German portrait and documentary photographer, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century photography. Born into a working-class family in Herdorf, he initially worked as a miner before pursuing photography professionally. He is best known for his monumental project 'People of the 20th Century' (Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts), which aimed to create a comprehensive photographic document of German society during the Weimar Republic by capturing cross-sections of various social classes and professions. His work is characterized by its documentary objectivity, focusing on portraits of farmers, skilled tradesmen, artists, and city dwellers. Despite facing significant constraints under the Nazi regime—including the seizure and destruction of some of his works—Sander's archive remains a vital sociological record of German life. He was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 1984.[1,2,3]
- Portraiture
- Documentary photography
- Social history
- German identity
Books
Works by August Sander
- 1934 Die Mosel Band II Deutsche Land / Deutsches Volk Rare publication about the Moselle region including landscapes and portraits.
- 1929 Antlitz der Zeit (Face of our Time) First book containing a selection of portraits from his 'People of the 20th Century' series.
- 1962 Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century) Major publication of his career-defining portrait series.
- 1971 Menschen ohne Maske (Men Without Masks) Biography of his son Gunther Sander.
Exhibitions
- 1980 August Sander—Photographs of an Epoch, 1904–1959
- 2004 August Sander: People of the Twentieth Century—A Photographic Portrait of Germany
- 2013 Portrait. Landscape. Architecture
Awards
- 1984 Induction into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum