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Vorwort (Preface / Introduction) 1897 Erster Jahrgang (First Year) Herausgeber: Franz Goerke (Edited by Franz Goerke) Lieferung 1 (first supplement art folio for the year 1897) p. 1 By Franz Goerke 
[Die Kunst in der Photographie] 
1897 
  
Letterpress (Julius Becker) 
Photoseed 
Photograph courtesy PhotoSeed.com 
  
 
LL/15646 
  
Translation of the original German text.
 
Introduction
 
I wanted to add a few words to this young undertaking.
 
The development of artistic photography has entered a stage which we can describe in the history of photography as a turning point. Among the large number of amateurs a small community has formed which perceives more in amateur photography than a game, a way to spend time, and which desires to place photography art on the same level with other art forms.
 
It has been debated for many years if photography can even be regarded as art, a question which even leads artists to voice contradicting opinions, although they are the closest to all art forms. While some artists do not want to equate photography to 'art' at all, others recognize the artistic vein of many amateur photographers; in this contradiction rest the many opinions on this question.
 
It is not our intent to determine to solve this issue. A picture should speak to the observer; it should attempt to reflect the emotions of the amateur photographer by careful reproduction; and even if many a reproduction is unable to reflect the uniqueness of the original object, it should be attempted to come as close to the original as possible.
 
I dedicate this first issue to the artistic endeavors to the Camera-Club of Vienna; I therefore fulfill my noble obligation to applaud the high achievements without any envy which this club as the first in Germany and Austria has earned with its artistic amateur photography, and even if I am permitted to show just a few masters' high achievements of this club in this first issue, so I do hope that a subsequent issue will showcase pictures of other outstanding members of this club.
 
At this time I do want to recognize these gentlemen which have supervised the reproductions personally and would like to express my deep gratitude to them.
 
So I am offering this first issue to the public. Hopefully it will be received warmly by all those artistic circles that show sincere interest in photography.
 
Franz Goerke

 
[With many thanks to Helga Lunsford & Wilhelm Bierling for providing the English translation from the original German.] 
 

 
  
 
  
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