1876-1964

Credited with sociological documentary epitomized by his portrait series People of the Twentieth Century – photographs of the German cultural landscape though the physiognomy of its people – August Sander was a giant among his peers.  “In landscape, we can recognize the human spirit of an era, which we can capture with the help of a photographic apparatus.  This is similar to architecture and industry and to all human works big and small,” Sander said.  Thomas Zeller wrote that “Sander aimed for a methodical contemplation, a detached understanding, and a thorough reading of landscapes as evidence of human activity.”