Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Tea for Two, Vintage Print, Germany, 1935 Vintage gelatin silver print on

Otto Umbehr, or simply ‘Umbo’, became famous for his innovative artistic approach. The present vintage gelatin silver print was created in 1935 when the photographer was commissioned by the Berlin AEG to test a new ‘Himmelskamera’ (meteorological camera). That camera model was equipped with a fish-eye lens that generated shots with a viewing angle of 180 degrees. The captured motif reveals a couple having the afternoon tea. The theme is quite typical for the artistic output by Umbo, who was especially focused on the big city from the perspective of the flâneur.

Condition:
The vintage gelatin silver print is in good condition considering its age. The surface only reveals faint crease and scratch marks. The paper shows tiny needle holes in the corners and appears a bit roughened along the corners. The image/sheet measures 24 x 24 cm.

Umbo, Otto Umbehr (1902-1980)
Otto Umbehr, called ‘Umbo’, was born in Düsseldorf. From 1921 to 1923 he studied at the Bauhaus school in Weimar, where he attended the class of Johannes Itten (1888-1967). In 1923 he settled in Berlin, where he met Paul Citroen (1896-1983) with whom he established his own studio in 1926. Umbo is famous for his experimental approach, which includes photomontages, collages, double exposures, X-ray films and unusual camera settings. In 1926, Umbo was involved at the legendary ‘Film und Foto’ exhibition in Stuttgart, which is considered a milestone in avant-garde photography in Germany. In 1928 Umbo joined the photojournalist agency ‘Dephot’ which he managed until its closing in 1933. He then worked as a freelance photojournalist and served the German army, from 1943 to 1945. In 1943 his entire photo archive (including approximately 60,000 negatives) was destroyed in Berlin, due to an air raid. After the war he moved to Hannover and focused on the documentation of the postwar years in Germany. From 1957 until the early 1970s he was also active as a photography teacher in Bad Pyrmont, Hildesheim and Hannover. (cbo)

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