Portraits of Jews in Wartime Amsterdam - Powerful, Captivating, Profound and Haunting

Dickerman Prints was honored to be selected to print a remarkable, historic exhibition which can be viewed at the Goethe Institut in San Francisco now through April 17, 2015. This is the premier exhibition of the work of photographer Annemie Wolff.

 Judith Trijtel - 1943 Copyright: Monica Kaltenschnee Judith Trijtel - 1943 Copyright: Monica Kaltenschnee

Lost Stories, Found Images

Violence, persecution, unrest and fear were the norm for Jews living in 1943 Amsterdam. Yellow Stars of David were to be worn at all times, and at any moment one could be arrested by the Gestapo and be sent to a Concentration Camp.

Yet, in the midst of chaos, photographer Annemie Wolff’s portrait sessions offered people a reason to get dressed up and smile: if only for a brief moment in time.

Six decades later, one hundred rolls of film were discovered in an attic; each roll containing profound portraits of Amsterdam’s Jewish population.

Perhaps the most haunting and captivating aspect of these photographs are the smiles and optimistic gazes that grace the faces of these people. Included are children, infants, and adults of all ages, many of them wearing that Yellow Star of David.

Little is known about the history of these portraits; which leaves us us to ponder the question of their purpose. Why, at such an incredibly tense time in the middle of a war, would people have pictures taken of themselves and their loved ones? Also, what did Wolff plan to do with the prints and why were the rolls untouched until now?

Some mysteries have been solved; the box of negatives include a register detailing the names of all of the subjects.  Dutch researchers continue to trace the identity and fascinating stories of the individuals depicted. Most of the images in this show include captions which detail what is known of the histories of their subjects. While about half of the portrait subjects survived the war, these images represent the last trace of the many others who perished in the camps.

 Hilde Jacobsthal - 1943 Copyright: Monica Kaltenschnee Hilde Jacobsthal - 1943 Copyright: Monica Kaltenschnee

Lost Stories, Found Images: Portraits of Jews in Wartime Amsterdam provides a means of learning, exploration, and creating a space to discuss our collective history, how it affects our current lives, and how we can pass it on to future generations. The compelling images provide an unforgettable experience for viewers to delve into the past, present, and future of the Jewish and human experience.

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About the Printing of the Show 

All the photographs exhibited in Lost Stories, Found Images: Portraits of Jews in Wartime Amsterdam were prepared and printed by Seth Dickerman.

As Seth wrote to Simon Kool, the show's Dutch curator,

“I am deeply moved to be involved in producing Annemie Wolff’s portraits. These images are truly great, completely heartbreaking and almost unbearably profound.”

Seth’s approach was to print this work as if he were printing it for Annemie herself.

“These portraits are beautifully made and wonderfully lit. They are also extremely professional. There can be no mystery as to how she would want them printed - which would likewise be professionally, and consistently - with fully detailed highlights, open shadows, and most importantly,  to always work to help the subject look his or her very best.”

Seth feels grateful and fortunate to have the opportunity to print such powerful and moving work. Having printed work by both Vivian Meier and Annemie Wolff within the span of a year has been “a privilege.”

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On Display through April 17, 2015

After months of work, we proudly invite you to experience Annemie’s work for yourself at Lost Stories, Found Images: Portraits of Jews in Wartime Amsterdam. The exhibition is supplemented by a number of activities, film screenings, and lectures.

Goethe Institut
530 Bush Street, ART Lounge
San Francisco, California

To learn more about the exhibition and attendant program, please visit JewishFed.org.

 Annemie Wolff - Self Portrait Copyright: Monica Kaltenschnee Annemie Wolff - Self Portrait Copyright: Monica Kaltenschnee

All photographs on this page are copyright: Monica Kaltenschnee


A Celebration of Forgotten Places: by Sam Aslanian

 

 

"The past is never dead. It's not even past,"
-William Faulkner
 

On forgotten back roads and main streets across the southern United States, entire regions have been left behind by the fast pace and technology of modern day life.

What remains is "timeless, silent and still... untouched by the clamor and commotion of our lives," according to fine art photographer Sam Aslanian.

To document this striking vision of the south, Aslanian embarked on a photographic journey across those dusty byways in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.

His images, created by using long-expired film, add to the mystique and form a series of evocative photographs that can either engulf the viewer or be utterly voyeuristic: depending on your mood.

Aslanian continues, “As always, I used my vintage 1960's and 70's film cameras loaded with long-expired film, creating a fitting marriage of technique and place — a region untouched by the 21st century, photographed by tools entirely of the previous century.”

 

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LOOKING SOUTH

Be sure to attend the opening reception for Looking South on Saturday, February 7, at the Christopher Hill Gallery. The exhibition features twenty-one large and medium-format pigment prints from Aslanian's journey: all created at Dickerman Prints.

Saturday, February 7  //  3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Christopher Hill Gallery
1235 Main Street
St Helena, CA 95474

 

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ABOUT THE PRINTING PROCESS

At Dickerman Prints, we love collaborating with artists to create the best prints possible. While getting ready for Looking South, Sam was kind enough to share a few words about his experience here at the lab.

"Late in 2010 The Christopher Hill Gallery in St. Helena agreed to put on my first fine art photography show. After the euphoria had worn off, I had to figure out how to print my prints— some of which were as large as 40x60. I use old, expired film that is then pushed pretty heavily in the processing creating an immense amount of grain and “texture." 

The first tests done at other labs were disastrous— glassy, ugly grain with none of the beauty of my photos as I saw them. I was almost considering canceling the show, when a fellow photographer told me about Dickerman Prints.  From the very first tests that Garnell Boyd did for me, I knew that my days of wandering in the wilderness were over. 

Now I am on my 4th gallery show, and Garnell and Dickerman have become an integral final link in my fine art process. Now I just show him my original on an iPad and he takes it from there, creating vibrant images full of depth and texture."

 

. . .

 

Meet sam Aslanian

Sam Aslanian is a longtime California resident and life-long student of photography. Holding a degree from the University of California at Los Angeles’ prestigious film school, and driven by a passion for film arts, Sam worked his way through Hollywood as both an executive producer for commercial and music video productions, and as an accomplished photographer. With his keen eye to both substance and style, Sam found success for more than 20 years in the often fickle and unforgiving industry known as Hollywood.

Wherever his adventures take him, Aslanian travels with his battered SLR cameras that are often held together with duct tape. In his bag can be found all manner of film, yes the kind the photographer loads carefully, gingerly, and spools into position in the camera’s belly.

It is a hard commodity to come by in the modern world which is both the blessing and the curse of Aslanian’s medium which is to use film deemed by others as past its prime. The film tells his story with often unpredictable results. The challenges of digital technology have made camera film practically a dinosaur, and therefore available expired film an even sweeter reward, at least to Sam, for the hunt.

Aslanian scours the likes of Paris, Rome and rural America in search of his unique photographic voice and scours the unlikely shelves of ancient film purveyors and Craig’s List to find his film.

 

To learn more about Sam Aslanian, visit his Facebook page.

 


Client Spotlight: Beth Yarnelle Edwards

Edwards has been capturing idyllic middle-class life in America and Europe for 16 years and her work reveals comfort, aspiration and stability, but also the more mundane aspects of a suburban existence. She took her first series of evocative photos, entitled Suburban Dreams, in the Silicon Valley in 1997, where she had lived for many years. The photographer explains that: 'Sometimes, I'm so interested in what's going on with people in their homes that I want to know what's in the closet or under the bed."

http://www.bethyarnelleedwards.com


Client Portfolio: Richard Barnes

“A curator, writing about my work, described the archaeological process as akin to the autopsy, in that it is simultaneously revealing and destructive of its object of study. I like the idea in my work of coming from a place that is both ambiguous and contradictory at the same time.” – Richard Barnes

http://www.richardbarnes.net


Opening Reception - Friday, Oct 24th - Open Studios

Art Span’s Open Studios at Dickerman Prints - Opening Reception, Friday, Oct 24th (6-9pm) - RSVP on Facebook

Dickerman Prints, the full-service custom photo lab in San Francisco’s South of Market district, is pleased to announce the opening of their annual Art Span Open Studios with an opening reception scheduled for Friday, Oct 24th (6-9pm). 

This year’s list of photographers includes: Colleen Mullins, Lennell Allen, Seth Dickerman, Melisa Phillips, Barry Barbour-Duncan, Audrey Heller and Daniel Leu.

Please join us in celebrating local photographers and the continuing efforts of Art Span’s Open Studios Friday evening, Oct 24th (6-9pm).

About Dickerman Prints

Dickerman Prints is a full-service custom photo lab in San Francisco, producing photographic and archival pigment prints to the highest standards. Their Polielettronica Laserlab, a state-of-the-art silver halide photographic printer and processor, is also available for D.I.Y. printing. Customers are free to use one oft four Macintosh workstations, or work online directly from their studios. Dickerman Prints loves to offer guests complimentary organic espresso and teas.

About SF’s Open Studios

SF Open Studios is the oldest and largest open studios program in the country, featuring an annual, month-long art event in October that showcases over 900 emerging and established San Francisco artists in their studios. Each weekend, art patrons, admirers, and collectors venture out on self-guided tours to see as many SF Open Studios artists and their artworks as possible, in the hopes of finding their next true art love. The event connects collectors with artists for engaging dialogue and a glimpse into the life of the working artist; SF Open Studios simultaneously helps artists build their mailing lists, gain new admirers, and ultimately sustain a living making art.


Sailing Indonesia

A wonderful part of photography is living life vicariously through the lens of others. Through these beautiful images shot by Bay Area based Dennis Anderson, we're able to travel on KLM Dunia Baru, a 150' long ironwood vessel just completed in Indonesia, on her madiane voyage, sailing through some of the most pristine and remote areas of the South Pacific.

Below are the words and photos from commercial and residential photographer Dennis Anderson who graciously shared them with us here at Dickerman Prints.

This is the maiden voyage of the KLM Dunia Baru, a 150' long ironwood vessel just completed in Indonesia.  The boat was hand built by a group of 30 Konjo and Bugis tribal members who have a 1000 year maritime history. Wearing flip flops and wielding chain saws and hand made tools, they set up on a riverbank in Kalimatan ready to receive one of the last legal barge loads of ironwood to be cut in Indonesia.  It took them 4 years non stop to build and float the hull.

My friends Frank and Jeni were the project managers for the owner and worked on the boat for 6 years.

Finish work and engines and sail rigging were completed in Bali. I made two trips to photograph the ship for the owner. The first, a work in progress set of shots, and a chance to collect and curate all the snap shots taken of the early construction in Kalimatan. Then in Dec/Jan 014, I was hired back to go on the maiden voyage and make marketing photos for potential upcoming charters. More importantly to me, I took on the title of artist in residence, free to shoot whatever caught my eye.

This truly epic adventure was a 1200 mile, month long exploration of some of the 17,000 islands and varied tribal people of the Indonesia sea. Let me describe one especially meaningful stop. 

Early in the voyage we returned a number of the original builders to their home in Ara, a village in Sulawesi where  boats are still being built on the beach.  The Mullahs and elders performed the final blessing to Dunia Baru by sacrificing a goat on her decks, and hanging the feet from the bow and stern.  

The next day the entire village, maybe 250 people, all came on board with the roasted goat and enough other island food to host a feast and celebration for everyone. The remaining crew felt greatly relieved as all the traditional forms had been competed.

Then free to roam we visited, dove, and snorkeled in Komodo, Ambon, and in Raja Ampat, New Guinea. This marine haven is part of the South Pacific's Coral Triangle.  It is an extremely remote area which retains more diversity and quantity of marine life than anywhere else left on the planet. Its accessible by charter boats from Sorong, which has an airport. 

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And if you are interested and happen to have an extra 80K laying around, you too can charter her for a week relaxing and sailing around in style.

Dennis Anderson is an internationally known commercial and residential photographer whose fine art photography is in the permanent collections of both the New York and S.F. Museums of Modern Art. 

A native of New Jersey Anderson received a B.A. in art from Antioch College and then studied under Imogene Cunningham. As an accomplished master of lighting, Anderson has traveled to Asia, South America and throughout the United States shooting feature assignments for the designers and owners of homes, restaurants, and resorts. His photos have appeared in numerous books and magazines including Architectural Digest, Hospitality Design, Interiors, Maritime Life and Tradition, Vogue Living, Resorts and Great Hotels and Rolling Stone. . He presents a series of photography and lighting seminars around the country as a member of the Distinguished Speakers Series of the American Society of Interior Designers.


Aya Brackett's New Book, "Bitter"

We were happy to receive an email from the multi-talented photographer Aya Brackett yesterday with the announcement that her new cookbook Bitter is freshly on shelves published by Ten Speed Press.

Written by Jennifer McLagan,  a renowned chef and food writer, Bitter is full of researched information, pithy writing, sharp photography, and incredible recipes - essentially, it should not be missed. For more info, check reviews & interviews: The Washington Post, Huffington PostGardenista


Pip-UP Show at Dickerman Prints - Sept 26th!

NO JURY! - NO CATALOG! - PRIZE?… YES!

Pin-Up Show
Opening: Friday, Sept 26th (6-9pm)
@Dickerman Prints
1141 Howard St.

RSVP ON FACEBOOK

Dickerman Prints, a full-service custom photo lab in San Francisco’s South of Market district, is pleased to announce a one night audience participatory photo show where viewers are encouraged to bring their favorite prints and pin them the wall with 50% of sales benefiting the SF non-profit “Sixth Street Photography Workshop” which brings photography to the residents of SF’s hotels and shelters on the Sixth Street corridor. The other 50% of sales going to the photographer. An opening reception will be held Friday, Sept 26th from 6 till 9pm.

There is no cost to participate, and all are welcome. Bring a favorite print (or prints under 16”x20”), and we’ll provide the magnetic pins for you to hang them with. Price your photo(s) accordingly. Browse others’ works on display while enjoying a complimentary glass of wine or a cold beer and mingle with local photographers. Buy a print from another photographer, if you wish. Your money will help to support “6th St Photography Workshop” which brings the art of photography to the homeless and transient residents living in the 6th St corridor. A great evening socializing with other Bay Area photographers and helping to support a wonderful local organization! Plus, maybe you’ll sell a print or two!

Viewers will also choose a photo to win a “Viewer’s Choice” printing package prize worth $200 redeemable at Dickerman Prints.

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Pin-Up Show
Opening: Friday, Sept 26th (6-9pm)
@Dickerman Prints
1141 Howard St.

RSVP ON FACEBOOK

About “Sixth Street Photography Workshop”

Sixth Street Photography Workshop works primarily with adults. Its photographers understand the challenges of high crime inner-city neighborhoods. They live in Single Resident Occupancy hotels, transitional housing, and have been homeless. In the photography workshop, they pursue personal work, and participate in artistically directed group projects. Sixth Street Photography Workshop has established a productive artistic community within a stratified population, and is devoted to continuing its growth.

About Dickerman Prints

Dickerman Prints is a full-service custom photo lab in San Francisco, producing photographic and archival pigment prints to the highest standards. Their Polielettronica Laserlab, a state-of-the-art silver halide photographic printer and processor, is also available for D.I.Y. printing. Customers are free to use one oft four Macintosh workstations, or work online directly from their studios. Dickerman Prints loves to offer guests complimentary organic espresso and teas.


Hipstamatic

There are a bazillion IPhone and Android camera apps to manipulate your images with. One of the best camera apps we've used is Hipstamatic which, we're sure, you've already discovered.

Hipstamatic allows you to select multiple film/ lens combos which will give you hundreds of options to choose from. This selection below (shot around Dickerman Prints this morning) uses just one B/W combo we really like. Download the app to find your favorite combo!

 Dickerman Prints printing master, Garnell Boyd. Dickerman Prints printing master, Garnell Boyd.


David Johnson: Photographer of the Fillmore

Daniel Johnson was Ansel Adam's first African American student in the mid 20th century in San Francisco at what would be come SFAI. He shot wonderful images of the Fillmore in its heyday.

The Harvey Milk Photo Center opens a retrospective of his work this Sept 6th (1-4pm). Should be a great show to check out:

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Exhibit: David Johnson Photography Retrospective
Exhibit Curators: David J Christensen, Director, Harvey Milk Photo Center and Susanna Lucia Lamaina 
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 61–4p.m.
Dates: September  6 – October 19
Locations: Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott St.
Viewing hours: Tues-Thursday, 4-8 p.m., Sat & Sunday noon–4:30 p.m.

David Johnson, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., was the first African American student of Ansel Adams. In Adams’ school he was advised to photograph his own neighborhood and document the faces and places with which he was most familiar. He subsequently became an important chronicler of black life in San Francisco in the middle part of the 20th century.

After his return to Jacksonville, Florida in 1946 from the US Navy, David Johnson was certain of one thing, and that was that he wanted to become a photographer. What was uncertain was where he would find the opportunity to study photography. He happened to read an article in Popular Photography that Ansel Adams was to become the Director of Photography at the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute). Johnson immediately wrote to Mr. Adams seeking a spot in the first class. He mentioned that he was a Negro. Ansel sent him a telegram saying the class was filled, and that it did not matter that he was a Negro, but his name would be placed on the list in the event someone cancelled .Within a week he got another message indicating there was a place in the class. Johnson arrived in San Francisco in 1946 shortly after his 19th birthday. Minor White met him at the ferry building in San Francisco and they took the streetcar to the Ansel Adams’ house. He stayed there until he could find a place to live in the Fillmore District, the black section of the city,a place that would shape his future.