Introduction: Die Kunst in der Photographie: 1904 

This group set features all plates (70) contained within the 4 quarterly issues (lieferung-installment) published for the 1904 yearly volume of Die Kunst in der Photographie. This includes 20 hand-pulled photogravures and an additional 50 mounted autotype plates. (halftones) Each issue contained 5 photogravures and either 12 or 13 autotypes. The half-title page-the first compiled letterpress page- states the following overview of work published in 1904:

This work is dedicated to international art photography.

Franz Goerke, publisher of Die Kunst in der Photographie, then provides his year-end message and analysis. In particular, he emphasizes how in this stage of its development, art photography has reached new heights:

“We can say that today, some of the resistance, some of the challenges that previously opposed the development of photography as an art have already been overcome”. Continuing, he observes: “It has achieved what it attempted for- a place alongside the visual arts, but it will not be satisfied with what it has achieved, it will set ever higher goals”..

The following is Goerke’s annual message to readers: (translated from the German)

With the present sheets, “Art in Photography” begins its eighth year.

Probably in no area of the fine arts have the recent years produced such surprising successes as in that of art photography.

Over the years, such a capable tribe of art photographers has emerged, who are technically and artistically at the height of what has been achieved, so that we do not have to be worried about the further development of art photography. It has been assigned a place in the group of fine arts, the museums, the publishing firms are taking over to collect outstanding works and in the elegant rooms of many art lovers we find art photography as wall decoration.

Even professional photographers have been inspired by the high artistic achievements of the amazing photographers to develop from the trivial paths of portrait photography that have been followed up to no longer and create works that are no longer tasteless and untrue as they have been.

It is particularly the reform in portrait photography that is of the utmost importance for the development of taste, and the goodwill that professional photographers have already shown has proven that they will create true artists.

Once we get used to considering photography as a work of art, we will attach it a much higher value than before.

We can say that today, some of the resistance, some of the challenges that previously opposed the development of photography as an art have already been overcome. It has helped with the artistic education of our people, and it now has a deeper impact on education, but also a more direct impact on the senses as an art.

It has achieved what it attempted for- a place alongside the visual arts, but it will not be satisfied with what it has achieved, it will set ever higher goals, and it will be its task to eventually achieve these distant goals.

The efficient periodic literature and the large number of pioneering publications also contribute to this artistic depth into the purposes and goals of art photography.

The “Art in Photography” has also been trying for a number of years in the spirit of these efforts to create a work with the help of modern achievements of reproduction technology that gives an elegant expression to the artistic efforts of photography. The present sheets are intended to be stimulating models for those who practice photography as an art, they are intended to bring joy to those who appreciate photography as an art and finally they are intended to try to convert those who do not want to admit that it is an equal standard to the visual arts.

Franz Goerke.

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The remaining letterpress, intended to be bound with all of the plates into a yearly compiled volume for 1904, also included the following:

Title Page: DIE KUNST IN DER PHOTOGRAPHIE | HERAUSGEGEBEN VON FRANZ GOERKE | ACHTER JAHRGANG  1904 | HALLE  A. S. | VERLAG VON WILHELM KNAPP; Plate Index Pages (INHALT) listing the 20 individual photogravure plates by author and title, followed by 50 individual mounted autotype (halftone) plates by author and title. (70 total plates for 1904)