I have seen a few of his books over the years, but never this one! Were they in the huge estate you were photographing, and more importantly... did you bid, or otherwise manage to hang on to one, or both? Really good stuff! I searched for a print of his for years of the opening of the first autobahns in Germany. I will post it for you. But, these Olympic images are great, right up there with you know who... thank you for a great post, Darin!
PS: Wolff lost the right to practice medicine because he lived in Strasbourg - France after WW1 - and the French Govt would not let him practice, because he was a doctor in the German Army during WW1. I don't know if this applied to all of German extraction, but it did to him.
That would be unusual, no? Collectors I have come across are either sticklers for quality, or collectors of one of everything, regardless of condition. Never both!
Wow, great essay, Darin! And it really makes you wonder if he would have been better known hadn’t he lost his entire archive. Thank you for shining a light on him. i personally love the last spread you’ve shared.
Thank you, Susanne. These Olympics books have such a great series of shots, and they are identical for both language versions, but those last two are really the best.
There are a couple of biographies of Dr. Wolff, and he published a number of books in the 30’s and 40’s. I am going to keep my eyes out for anything with his name on it.
Thank you, Ralph. While I don’t have the books at hand, I don’t recall any photo’s of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, in them. I don’t recall seeing much Nazi-ish photography in anything that I have seen, personally, or in my research.
I was very surprised to learn that I had never heard of him. Considering his volume of work, and the place he holds in promoting 35mm photography, I will have to keep my eyes open for more information on him.
On further search, saw that he's listed on pages 746 & 747 of Taschen's 20th Century Photography (pub. date 1996). Listed alphabetically, I'm not sure if I would've gotten to the W's though his name rings a bell. Impressive books!
Very good post, Darin. Incredible photos and an incredible person too, Dr Wolff. By coincidence, I read today another post by @lachambrenoire where he writes exactly about this subject. All the great unknown photographers that although they have been important in the history of photography nobody knows them. Unfairly forgotten by the system. The photographs that you show in your post are marvellous which shows that we were in face of a great photographer. The fact that he was shooting with a Leica is not so important. Dr Wolff was gifted and Leica knew this.
I’m sure Dr Wolff must have known Leni Riefenstahl as the head of the film production and direction of the Olympic Games of 1936. Maybe he was part of her film and photography team. Who knows?
Great, great work! Thank you so much for your first Book Sunday!
I am certain that most people knew Dr. Wolff, at the time. It would have been a small universe of people allowed to shoot the games. Thank you for the links, too.
One of your top posts. Great stuff. What value do you guess the books will bring? & Will we continue our friendship if I outbid you? Or will you curse me to a street corner where all the donuts have names that sound like prostitutes?
To be honest, I haven’t taken the time to research the potential value of these books. They are in fantastic condition, considering their age, and I think that we will put them together, in a lot. If you decide to bid on them, let me know, and I won’t.
I have seen a few of his books over the years, but never this one! Were they in the huge estate you were photographing, and more importantly... did you bid, or otherwise manage to hang on to one, or both? Really good stuff! I searched for a print of his for years of the opening of the first autobahns in Germany. I will post it for you. But, these Olympic images are great, right up there with you know who... thank you for a great post, Darin!
PS: Wolff lost the right to practice medicine because he lived in Strasbourg - France after WW1 - and the French Govt would not let him practice, because he was a doctor in the German Army during WW1. I don't know if this applied to all of German extraction, but it did to him.
Also, Søren. I have only just shot these books, so they will probably come up for auction in a month, or so. I will certainly bid on them.
Interesting! Thank you, Søren! Practicing in Strasbourg would have been the key reason.
Søren, is this the Riefenstahl book you were referencing?
yup! I have a copy here somewhere. Despite who she was, and what she was, I find the work remarkable for the time.
I just finished shooting the Leni book. It’s a first edition and in perfect condition.
Your guy clearly knew his stuff!
He was a sophisticated collector, in some areas, and a hoarder, in others.
That would be unusual, no? Collectors I have come across are either sticklers for quality, or collectors of one of everything, regardless of condition. Never both!
Wow, great essay, Darin! And it really makes you wonder if he would have been better known hadn’t he lost his entire archive. Thank you for shining a light on him. i personally love the last spread you’ve shared.
Thank you, Susanne. These Olympics books have such a great series of shots, and they are identical for both language versions, but those last two are really the best.
this is gold!
It is!
This is fabulous and no surprise, I had never heard of him either. But now I have, thanks to you. I really appreciate it!
There are a couple of biographies of Dr. Wolff, and he published a number of books in the 30’s and 40’s. I am going to keep my eyes out for anything with his name on it.
Long was willing to understand and accept Owens as a human being long before most of Owens' fellow Americans were prepared to do so...
Jesse said that the loudest applause that he ever received on the field, was in Berlin. He was a hit.
Thank you for introducing me to an early Leica shooter that I had never come across before. Incredible images.
I can only imagine what it must have been like to shoot so well, and so consistently, with a camera system that was both untried and state of the art.
Thanks for writing this Darin, there are too many ‘lost’ photographers from the past. It looks like he was a good darkroom printer too.
He was a pioneer of the 35mm genre. The more I can find of his work, the more impressed I am.
A superb post, Darin. What a fantastic book. If only it wasn't for a certain lunatic in Berlin at the time...Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you, Ralph. While I don’t have the books at hand, I don’t recall any photo’s of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, in them. I don’t recall seeing much Nazi-ish photography in anything that I have seen, personally, or in my research.
That's good to know.
amazing - thank you.
Thank you, Crina.
Thanks for sharing this. I am happy to be introduced to this photographer I’ve not heard about by name.
I was very surprised to learn that I had never heard of him. Considering his volume of work, and the place he holds in promoting 35mm photography, I will have to keep my eyes open for more information on him.
Please share if you come across more. What an interesting guy.
Insightful read, Darin.
On further search, saw that he's listed on pages 746 & 747 of Taschen's 20th Century Photography (pub. date 1996). Listed alphabetically, I'm not sure if I would've gotten to the W's though his name rings a bell. Impressive books!
Cheers!
Thank you, Kenneth.
Very good post, Darin. Incredible photos and an incredible person too, Dr Wolff. By coincidence, I read today another post by @lachambrenoire where he writes exactly about this subject. All the great unknown photographers that although they have been important in the history of photography nobody knows them. Unfairly forgotten by the system. The photographs that you show in your post are marvellous which shows that we were in face of a great photographer. The fact that he was shooting with a Leica is not so important. Dr Wolff was gifted and Leica knew this.
I’m sure Dr Wolff must have known Leni Riefenstahl as the head of the film production and direction of the Olympic Games of 1936. Maybe he was part of her film and photography team. Who knows?
Great, great work! Thank you so much for your first Book Sunday!
https://substack.com/@lachambrenoire1/note/p-207356486?r=2a2gw7&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action
I am certain that most people knew Dr. Wolff, at the time. It would have been a small universe of people allowed to shoot the games. Thank you for the links, too.
At the time, probably, but in our times I’m sure very few people must know him.
One of your top posts. Great stuff. What value do you guess the books will bring? & Will we continue our friendship if I outbid you? Or will you curse me to a street corner where all the donuts have names that sound like prostitutes?
To be honest, I haven’t taken the time to research the potential value of these books. They are in fantastic condition, considering their age, and I think that we will put them together, in a lot. If you decide to bid on them, let me know, and I won’t.
I will take a look and let you know.
They are not up, I’ll let you know when they are.