Saturday, August 30, 2014

Recent additions to my collection: von Plüschow's photographs


I would like to share with you some of my recent findings: Wilhelm von Plüschow's vintage photographs, shot in Athens, Pompei and I guess Napoli. I think the photograph above was shot in Napoli... Could someone please confirm ?

The authentic vintage photographs I will post during the few next days are parts of a vintage album that was recently dismantled by a German dealer.

My friend Nicole Canet (Au bonheur du Jour)  bought some photographs from this album. I bought other ones from it.

Unfortunately, I don't know who was the owner of the original album, that is who bought these photographs from Plüschow himself... I just can guess he was a German man, it would have been interesting to know more about his life...

The photograph below was shot in the Dionysius Theater, down below Athens Acropolis. I don't know if von Plüschow visited Athens with his favorite Italian models (boy friends ?) or if these boys are Greek young men...

Perhaps someone among my erudite reader will clear up this point...

A last thing: you are free to download and repost these pics.

I bought them, they are parts of my personal collection, but I want to share them with you...

So I post them with a Creative Commons Licence

This license allows you to remix, tweak, and build upon these pics non-commercially, and any use of them must acknowledge "Rêves siciliens"  and be non-commercial.




7 comments:

Giovanni Dall'Orto said...

Yes, the first one is shot on the terrace of Pluschow's second house/studio in Naples, at Rampa di Posillipo 55, Mergellina. It still exists, although it is not possible to visit it.
You find more shot in the same location here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nude_photos_by_Wilhelm_von_Plueschow_taken_at_Rampa_di_Posillipo_55_%28Naples%29

The second one was taken during the trip to Athens and Egypt, within March, 1895. You can find more here:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Catalogue_of_Wilhelm_von_Pl%C3%BCschow%27s_pictures#Atene_.2F_Athens_.28entro_il_marzo_1895_.2F_Within_March_1895.29

I would like to add these images to this catalogue, therefore I would like to know their catalogue number in order to know where do they fit.
Thanks in advance. Giovanni Dall'Orto

Giovanni Dall'Orto said...

I forgot: of course the boys were locals. He could not possibly travel with an assortment of 20 kids or so.

Butterfly said...

Dear Giovanni,
Thank you very much for your comments: they are very helpful !
Unfortunately, these photographs are sticked on the album sheets, and I cannot see the reverse, with the stamp and the handwritten number. I will ask a technician specialized in vintage photographs to remove the album's sheet.

Giovanni Dall'Orto said...

What about trying and seeing through the sheet in front of a lamp? I used this method in the past and sometimes it works, if the paper is not too thick. :-)

Unknown said...

Giovanni, enhancing the contrast i was able to locate the catalog numbers on these photographs: the 1st one bears it left of the boy's shoulder, it might be read as 52 or 42 with no certainty. The 2nd one bears it in the lower right corner but is hardly readable and consists of at least 3 numbers, maybe 4: I would read 2704 with no certainty.

Giovanni Dall'Orto said...

Thank you for taking the time to do it :-)

Echo said...

Marvellous! Thanks for sharing your collections.
I found it quite hard to look away from his poetic compose; sometimes I feel I could see the vivid flowers blooming through his still-and-not coloured photos. Absolutely marvellous.