c. 1870 – An undated photo print shows the view across the Eutiner See from the promenade in Eutin, Germany. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: A. F. Knoop
The story behind the image
Here’s an exciting image. It’s a view across the Eutiner See in Germany, most likely captured from the lake promenade in Eutin by early photo pioneer Adolf Friedrich Knoop (1823-1904).
Okay, I hear you say, “there’s nothing special about this image,” and I agree. The composition itself is rather boring (especially when compared to other images.) The only objects that add some spice for the eyes are the tiny pavillion with its short pier in the center of the image, and the trees of the Fasaneninsel on the left. Even the technical quality is just so-so (see comparison below.)
Here’s why I this image excites me:
- It was probably shot around 1870 as part of a series, making it one of the oldest images in my collection.
- It shows a landscape image at a time when photography was mostly used for portraits.
- The use of the smaller CdV format indicates that the print was a predecessor to postcards that would show off the beauty or features of a specific location. The print might have been on sale in Knoops photo studio in Eutin to be taken home by travellers enabling them to visualize their trip.
For a long time, Knoop was the only photographer in Eutin and surroundings. There have been regular visits by traveling photographers, but Knoop was the first photographer to open a studio in Eutin. There’s an ad in a weekly paper dated October 1858 that announces his availablity “for photos on paper, glass, and oilcloth.”
At the age of 42 he married Sophia Charlotte Henriette Behncke (1836-1914) in Eutin.
In October 1892, he handed the studio over to Ludwig Schöss who continued the business for at least another 15 years. It’s unclear what happened to the studio afterwards.
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | c. 1870 |
| Photographer | Adolf Friedrich Knoop |
| Location | Eutin, Germany |
| Image Source | 6.3 x 10.1 cm CdV photo print |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 8469 x 5277 Pixels |
| Copyright | Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com/Photo: A. F. Knoop |
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