Paul Lindner (1845–1924). Rediscovery of a Historical Photo Collection

Research Exhibition curated by Regine Schallert

A selection of historical photographic prints from the earliest negatives inventoried for the Photographic Collection of the Bibliotheca Hertziana and that have been recently attributed to the Saxon military captain Paul Lindner (c. 1845 - c. 1924), sheds light on the work of this completely unknown autodidactic photographer active in Rome around 1900.

From around 1889, Paul Lindner worked as a freelance photographer for the German Archaeological Institute in Rome. His darkroom consisted of a tent set up in the Institute's garden on the Capitoline Hill. At the same time, he also supported the architect Theobald Hofmann for almost two decades in carrying out his research on Renaissance palace architecture. A collection of around 500 glass negatives, drawn mainly from this work, was separated out by the DAI in 1928 and donated to the Bibliotheca Hertziana. The photographs attest to Lindner's excellent understanding of architectural and urban contexts, which may have originated in his experience in military surveying. They also show his affinity with the pictorialist tendencies of photography at the time and, even more, document his fascination with the villages of central Italy and the Roman Campagna.

Exhibition dates: September 18 (opening at 6 pm) – December 6, 2024

Access information to the exhibition:
Via Gregoriana 30
00187 Rome
Mon-Fri 9:30 am – 6:30 pm

Research Exhibition curated by Regine Schallert

Image: Rome, Sant'Eustachio seen from Via della Palombella, c. 1890/1910, silver bromide gelatine plate, 21x27 cm, inverted scan, Copyright: BHMPI