Exhibition dates: 27th February - 28th June, 2026

Curator: Judy Ditner, the Richard Benson Curator of Photography and Digital Media

 

  

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Artist’s Party
c. 1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 3/8″ (25.8 x 18.7cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

  

A huge two-part posting on one of the most important photographers of the 20th century, an extravaganza of 77 photographs by August Sander (German, 1876-1964) from his magnum opus People of the 20th Century (Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts) (1892-1954) which consists of over 600 photographs organised into seven categories and 49 portfolios (see below).

There are many photographs I have never seen before in the two postings.

I have ordered the photographs in the postings by alphabetical title not by Sander’s classificatory system. It’s just much easier for me to make the postings this way (which takes many hours). As the text from the curator Judy Ditner makes clear, “Sander’s categories are not as fixed as they may at first appear, with many individuals and motifs showing up across different classifications.”

“What makes Sander’s work so powerful is the tension: each portrait is at once a deeply personal image and a window into a broader social type.”

Comment to follow in Part 2 of the posting.

Dr Marcus Bunyan

Many thankx to the Yale University Art Gallery for allowing me to publish the photographs in the posting. All photographs were printed by Gerd Sander (German, 1940-2021). Please click on the photographs for a larger version of the image. See Part 2 of the posting.

 

 

“The individual does not make the history of his time, but he both impresses himself on it and expresses its meaning.”

August Sander

 

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Beggar
1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 5 5/8 in. (25.5 x 14.3cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

Categories and portfolios

1/ The Farmer

This category serves as the foundation of his taxonomy, celebrating the “earthbound man” and rural life.

~ Portfolio of Archetypes
~ The Young Farmer
~ The Farmer’s Child and the Mother
~ The Farmer’s Family
~ The Farmer—His Life and Work
~ Farming Types

2/ The Skilled Tradesman

This volume highlights individuals in specialized professions and manual labor. 

~ The Skilled Tradesman
~ The Apprentice / Journeyman
~ The Workshop and Factory
~ The Technician and Inventor

3/ The Woman

Dedicated to women in various life stages, social roles, and occupations.

~ The Woman
~ The Family
~ The Woman at Work
~ The Intellectual and Practical Occupation
~ The Elegant Woman

4/ Classes and Professions

This category spans the socio-economic hierarchy, from physical laborers to the political and business elite. 

~ The Working Youth
~ The Soldier
~ The Student
~ The Scholar and Academic
~ The Clergy
~ The Jurist / Official
~ The Teacher and Educator
~ The Doctor and Pharmacist
~ The Artist (Performing Arts)
~ The Businessman
~ The Industrialist / Banker
~ The High Nobility

5. The Artists

This group focuses entirely on the creative and bohemians fields.

~ The Musician
~ The Poet
~ The Painter and Sculptor
~ The Architect

6. The City

An exploration of urban environments, public life, and various services or entertainment figures.

~ The City
~ The Representative of the City
~ The City Dweller
~ The Street Life
~ The Waiter / The Publican / The Cook
~ The Entertainer / The Showman
~ The Travel / The Circus / The Fairground
~ The Types and Originals
~ The Sportsman (Winter/Summer)
~ The Soldier
~ The Emigrant

7. The Last People

This poignant category focuses on the margins of society, specifically the themes of old age, sickness, and death.

~ Old Age
~ The Blind
~ The Sick
~ The Insane / Idiots
~ The Dying / The Dead

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Blacksmith
c. 1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
9 13/16 x 7 3/4 in. (25 x 19.7cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Blacksmiths
1926, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 3/4 in. (25.8 x 19.7cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Blind Children
c. 1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
7 9/16 x 10 1/16 in. (19.2 x 25.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Blind Miner and Blind Soldier
c. 1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
9 13/16 x 7 15/16 in. (24.9 x 20.1cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Blind People
c. 1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/8 x 7 15/16 in. (25.7 x 20.2cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

The German photographer August Sander (1876-1964) is one of the most significant and influential photographers of the 20th century. This exhibition presents Sander’s ambitious and groundbreaking portrait series Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century) (1892-1954), a canonical work in the history of photography. The presentation – of over 600 prints from the series – represents the most comprehensive installation of his life’s work.

For this monumental archive of modern humanity, Sander photographed German citizens from all classes and backgrounds, organising them into categories such as “The Skilled Tradesman,” “The Farmer,” “The Artist,” and “The Woman.” Sander conceived of the project in the 1920s, during the Weimar Republic, but included in it photographs he had made as early as 1892. His portrayal of marginalised individuals, including people with disabilities and the unemployed, provided visibility to those often excluded from mainstream representations and drew the ire of the Nazis. Striking for their unflinching realism and skilful observations of character, his images reflect the changing social landscape of Germany in the first half of the 20th century.

Text from the Yale University Art Gallery website

 

 

Installation views of the exhibition August Sander’s People of the 20th Century at the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT, February – June, 2026

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Boxers [Paul Röderstein and Hein Hesse]
1929, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 6 1/2 in. (25.8 x 16.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Candy Seller
1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 5/16 in. (25.6 x 18.6cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Circus Performers
1926-1932, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
8 1/16 x 10 1/16 in. (20.5 x 25.6cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Confirmation Candidate
1911, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/4 x 7 7/16 in. (26 x 18.9cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Cook
1928, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 x 7 1/2 in. (25.4 x 19.1cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Country Band
1913, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
7 3/8 x 10 1/8 in. (18.8 x 25.7cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Country Girls
1923, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
9 15/16 x 7 11/16 in. (25.2 x 19.6cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Country Girls, Westerwald
1925, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 3/8 in. (25.8 x 18.8cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Country Lads from the Westerwald
1912, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 7/8 in. (25.9 x 20cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

The Westerwald (German pronunciation: [ˈvɛstɐvalt]; literally ‘Western forest’) is a low mountain range on the right bank of the river Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhenish Massif (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge or Rhenish Slate Mountains). Its highest elevation, at 657 m above sea level, is the Fuchskaute in the High Westerwald.

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Daughter of a Painter
c. 1926, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/8 × 7 5/16 in. (25.7 × 18.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Disabled Miner
1927-1928, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 1/16 in. (25.5 x 18cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Dock Workers
c. 1929, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/8 × 8 1/4 in. (25.7 × 21cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farmer
1920-1928, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 8 1/8 in. (25.9 x 20.6cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farm Children
c. 1913, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
9 3/4 x 7 5/16 in. (24.7 x 18.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farmer Couple – Propriety and Harmony
1912, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 5/16 in. (25.8 x 18.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farmer from the Eifel
1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 6 3/4 in. (25.8 x 17.2cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

The Eifel (German: [ˈaɪfl̩]; Luxembourgish: Äifel, pronounced [ˈæːɪ̯fəl]) is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of Belgium.

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farmer on his Way to Church
1925-1926, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/8 x 6 3/8 in. (25.7 x 16.2cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farmer Sowing
1952, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/8 x 7 7/8 in. (25.7 x 20cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farmers Playing Cards
c. 1920, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
8 1/8 x 10 1/16 in. (20.7 x 25.6cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

The Yale University Art Gallery announced August Sander’s People of the 20th Century, an ambitious exhibition showcasing the work of one of the most influential photographers of the modern era.

August Sander (1876-1964) devoted decades of his career to capturing and cataloguing the sociocultural spectrum of German life. In his groundbreaking series, Menschen des 20. Jahrhunderts (People of the 20th Century) (1892–1954), he attempted to create a comprehensive sociological archive by photographing individuals from various classes, occupations, and backgrounds and then arranging the images into archetypal groups and subgroups, such as “The Skilled Tradesman,” “The Farmer,” “The Artist,” and “The Woman.” The Gallery’s presentation retains his original organisational framework.

Taken in sum, Sander’s portraits show his keen observation of Germany’s shifting cultural landscape in the first half of the 20th century. The extensive project encompasses independent works, commissioned sittings, and scenes of family life. They reflect a diverse nation rooted in tradition yet transformed by war and increasing urbanisation. Each photograph presents not just a generalised type but an individual, highlighting the tension between social conformity and personal identity. Sander’s categories, while systematic, also reveal an inherent fluidity, as certain types and individuals appear across different groupings, challenging strict classification.

Heavily influenced by the Cologne Progressive and New Objectivity art movements, Sander adopted a representational style free from idealisation. His inclusion of marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities and the unemployed, asserted the value of each individual, subverting the exclusionary ideologies of National Socialism. In 1936 the Nazi regime destroyed an early version of his work. Undeterred, Sander continued to photograph throughout World War II, subsequently adding portfolios titled “Foreign Workers,” “The Persecuted” (depicting German Jews), and “Political Prisoners” (with images that his son Erich smuggled out of prison, where he was serving a 10-year sentence for anti-Nazi activities).

Although Sander produced tens of thousands of negatives for this project, the majority were destroyed during World War II and in a 1946 house fire. The gelatin silver prints in the exhibition were created from surviving original glass-plate negatives by Gerd Sander, the artist’s grandson, in the 1990s, guided by vintage prints and the artist’s extensive notes. These prints are recent acquisitions by the Yale University Art Gallery, made possible through the Société Anonyme Acquisition Fund and the Katharine Ordway Fund.

The exhibition comprises the full set of 619 prints, making it the most comprehensive museum presentation of Sander’s landmark project to date. By expanding the boundaries of portraiture into social commentary, exploring the concept of collective belonging, and experimenting with the artistic potential of the archive, Sander’s work remains remarkably resonant and impactful today.

Press release from Yale University Art Gallery

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Farming Family
1913-1914, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
7 5/16 x 9 1/4 in. (18.5 x 23.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Foundrymen
1926, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 3/16 in. (25.8 x 18.3cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Girl in a Fairground Caravan
1926-1932, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 × 7 11/16 in. (25.8 × 19.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Gymnastics Teacher
1925, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 6 13/16 in. (25.5 x 17.3cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Gypsy
c. 1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 1/16 in. (25.5 x 18cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Hamburg Carpenters
c. 1929, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 1/16 in. (25.8 x 18cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Inmate of an Asylum
1926-1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 5 15/16 in. (25.9 x 15.1cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Inmate of an Asylum
1926-1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 6 15/16 in. (25.6 x 17.6cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Inventor and Dadaist [Raoul Hausmann]
1929, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 1/2 in. (25.5 x 19cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

Raoul Hausmann was an Austrian artist and writer. One of the key figures in Berlin Dada, his experimental photographic collages, sound poetry, and institutional critiques would have a profound influence on the European Avant-Garde in the aftermath of World War I.

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Itinerant Basket Weavers
1929, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
7 15/16 x 10 1/16 in. (20.2 x 25.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Itinerant Mason
c. 1927, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 3/8 in. (25.6 x 18.7cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Machine Operator
1926, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 × 7 1/16 in. (25.6 × 18cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Magician
1930, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 6 1/8 in. (25.8 x 15.6cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Married Beggar Couple, Neuwied
1928, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 1/2 in. (25.5 x 19cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Master Mason (Building a Chimney)
1926-1932, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 13/16 in. (25.5 x 19.8cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Match Seller
1927, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
7 1/2 × 8 11/16 in. (19 × 22cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Member of a Rural Gymnastics Club
1912, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 3/16 x 7 in. (25.9 x 17.8cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Middle-Class Married Couple
1922, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
9 15/16 × 7 5/8 in. (25.3 × 19.3cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Mother and Daughter, Farmer’s Wife and Miner’s Wife
1912, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
9 13/16 x 7 3/8 in. (24.9 x 18.7cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
Mother and Daughter [Helene Abelen with Daughter Josepha]
c. 1926, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 11/16 in. (25.6 x 19.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

 

August Sander (German, 1876-1964)
My Wife in Joy and Sorrow [Anna Sander with twins, Sigrid and Helmut Sander]
1911, printed c. 1990-1999
Gelatin silver print
10 1/16 x 7 11/16 in. (25.5 x 19.5cm)
Societe Anonyme Acquisition Fund and Katharine Ordway Fund
© Die Photographische Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur – August Sander Archiv, Cologne / ARS, NY

 

Further challenging the project’s claim to offer a neat and neutral study of social types is the deeply personal character of some of the pictures. Indeed, People of the 20th Century incorporates intimate portraits of Sander’s family, including the poignant My Wife in Joy and Sorrow showing his wife, Anna, with their twin infants, one of whom did not survive.

Judy Ditner is the Richard Benson Curator of Photography and Digital Media

Yale University Art Gallery Spring 2026 Magazine

 

 

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