Getty Museum

Birthday Party [Sigrid Sander, below center]

Date

1926

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Culture

German

Department

Photographs

Institution

Getty Museum

Object ID

3a3003b5-8822-4937-a939-1b0b8217402a

Seated front and center in this portrait of adolescent girls is Sigrid Sander, the daughter of photographer August Sander. Looking directly into the camera's lens, Sigrid reveals that she is well versed in her father's straightforward approach to portraiture. The vacuous stares of many of the other girls render this a document that declines to offer insight into their personalities. In making this photograph, Sander's purpose may have been to record the girls' physiognomy for his unfinished survey of German "types." Eventually, Sigrid worked behind the camera, trained by her father to follow in his footsteps. Sander's portraits of women demonstrate that, like many of his contemporaries, he often associated them with the typical roles of mother, sister, and wife. He made an exception of his own daughter, whom he held in high esteem and in whom he frequently confided. Unfortunately, Sander could be a strict taskmaster, and Sigrid could not abide his relentless supervision. She soon abandoned photography and later became a potter.

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