R02

 

Untitled, 1930.

Marlene Dietrich phones her little daughter in Berlin from Hollywood.

by

SALOMON, Erich

b. 28 April 1886; d 7 July 1944

Salomon was a German photographer and one of the pioneers of modern photojournalism.
He first worked as a carpenter, later reading Law at Munich. His interest in photography was aroused by the development, by Oskar Barnack of the 35mm miniature camera. Unlike its predecessors, this new format enabled one to take photographs by available light.
He revelled in taking pictures in situations where cameras were not allowed, and of taking pictures of celebrities when they were off their guard, revealing expressions which they themselves might not wish to reveal in public. His camera was concealed in an attaché case.
He became well known when he published pictures taken secretly at a murder trial. These proved so successful that he became a full-time professional, specialising in pictures which showed the human qualities of celebrities and politicans of his time. He had quite a knack of gate-crashing, to the extent that one premier of France, Briand, once commented that meetings would never be deemed to be important unless Salomon was there.
Salomon also worked briefly in England and in the United States, and in 1931 published a book called "Celebrated Contemporaries in unguarded moments" - containing photographs of some one hundred and fifty dignitaries and celebrities of the time.
During the second World War he went into hiding, but was eventually arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz, where he died.



Recreation

The original photo was showing a communication between a daughter and her mother who was living in another country. She was using an old telephone, which was the best and most popular way to communicate with people far away. So I chose to show this scene in a modern way, combine with many modern communication tools. Although the tools we use for communication are changing dramatically, the fact of communication between us and the others is staying the same. The facial expression indicated that the person was happy when she was making that phone call.