Words of Light: Theses on the Photography of History

202 Pages·2008·2.32 MB·English

Theses on the
Photography of History
Eduardo Cadava
Bogazici University Library
P R I N C E T ON U N I V E R S I TY PRESS * PRINCETON. NEW JERSEY
Copyright © 1997 by Princeton University 1
Published by Princeton University Press,
41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press,
Chichester, West Sussex
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cadava, Eduardo.
Words of light: theses on the photography of history I
Eduardo Cadava.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-691-03450-8
ISBN 0-691-00268-1 (pbk.)
I. Photography-Philosophy. 2. Historiography.
3. Benjamin, Walter, 1892-1940.I. Title.
TR183.C33 1997
770'.1—dao 96-17708 CIP
This book has been composed in Dante Typeface
Princeton University Press books are pnnted on acid-free
paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and
durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for
Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources
Second printing, and first paperback printing. 1998
http://pup.princeton.edu
Printed in the United States of America
La photographie montre la recdite de la pensee
- JEAN-LUCN ANCY, Le poids d'une pensee
BOGAZigi _ III I j II I Bi
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List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Abbreviations xv
Preface: Photagogos xvii
HISTORY
3
HELIOTROPISM
ORIGINS
MORTIFICATION 7
GHOSTS II
MIMESIS
13
TRANSLATIONS
15
INSCRIPTIONS
18
LIGHTNING 21
STARS
ETERNAL RETURN
REPRODUCIBILITY
POLITICS
DANGER
CAESURA
TRACES
CONTENTS
Vlll
NIGHTDREAMS 66
TWILIGHT 71
AWAKENING 81
LANGUAGE 84
MATTER 87
REFLECTIONS 92-
PSYCHES 97
SHOCKS 102
SIMILARITY 106
PETRIFICATION 115
DEATH 128
EPITAPHS 128
Notes 133
Bibliography 157
PAGE 2 Anonymous, the last photograph taken of Benjamin; it appears on
the upper left-hand corner of his death certificate. (Courtesy of
Dr. Konrad Scheurmann and the community of Port Bou, Spain.)
PAGE 6 Eugene Atget, "Quai d'Anjou," April 1926.(Albumen-silver print,
238 x 17.8 cm. Collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New
York. Abbott-Levy Collection. Partial gift of Shirley C. Burden.)
PAGE 9 David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, Dennistoun Monu
ment, Greyfriars Churchyard. Calotype known as "The Artist and
the Gravedigger." (Collection of the Scottish National Portrait
Gallery, Edinburgh.)
PAGE 12 Siegfried Kracauer, 1930. (Kracauer Estate, Deutsches Literatur-
archiv, Marbach am Neckar, Germany.) ,
PAGE 16 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, title page of the magazine foto-QUALiTAT,
1931. (Letterpress red/blue/black on art paper. Bauhaus-Archiv,
Berlin.)
PAGE 20 David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, "Mrs. Elizabeth
(Johnstone) Hall of Newhaven." (Collection of the J. Paul Getty
Museum, Los Angeles, California.)
PAGE 25 Kafka's passport photograph, ca. 1915-16. (Collection of Klaus
Wagenbach, Berlin.)
PAGE 29 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, "Mass Psychology," 1927. (Collection of the
George Eastman House, Rochester, New York.)
PAGE 34 Gisele Freund, Benjamin at the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris,
1937. (Gisele Freund, Paris.)
PAGE 40 Germaine Krull, "Passage, Paris," ca. 1927-28. (Collection of
Stiftung Germaine Krull, Wetzlar, Germany.)
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE 46 Gisele Freund, Benjamin, Paris, 1938. (Gisele Freund, Paris.)
PAGE 48 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, "Verantworte! (Be Responsible!)," ca. 1930.
(Gelatin silver print of a photomontage, 13.5 x 18.9 cm.' Collection
of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California.)
PAGE 54 August Sander, "Parliamentarian of the Democratic Party," 1928.
(Gelatin silver print, 2,2.5 x 15.6 cm. Collection of the J. Paul Getty
Museum, Los Angeles, California.)
PAGE 58 Laszlo Moholy-Nagp "Film Poster," photomontage, 1925. (Col
lection of Arnold H. Crane, Chicago.)
PAGE 62 Holland House Library view after September 1940 air raid in Lon
don. (RCHME Crown Copyright.)
PAGE 67 Nadar, "Charles Baudelaire," 1855 (Collection of the George East
man House, Rochester, New York.)
PAGE 70 Werner David Feist, "Alarm Clock," ca. 1929. (Gelatin silver print,
a3 16.8 cm. Bauhaus-Archiv, Berlin.)
PAGE 74 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, "Marseilles, 1929." (Collection of the
George Eastman House, Rochester, New York.)
PAGE 79 Erich Comeriner, "Berlin, Friedrichstrafie," ca. 1930. (Gelatin sil
ver print. Bauhaus-Archiv, Berlin.)
PAGE 82 John Heartfield, AIZ cover, 1935. (Collection of the George East
man House, Rochester, New York.)
PAGE 86 Benjamin's passport photograph. (Collection of the Adorno-
Archiv, Frankfurt am Main.)
PAGE 94 Sasha Stone, photomontage for cover of Benjamin's Einbahn-
strafie, 1928. (Courtesy of Suhrkamp Verlag, Frankfurt am Main.)
PAGE 98 Charlotte Joel-Heinzeirnann, Benjamin. (Collection of the
Adorno-Archiv, Frankfurt am Main.)
PAGE 101 Germaine Krull, Benjamin in Paris, 1927. (Collection of Gary
Smith, Berlin.)
LIST O F IL LUST R AT IO NS xi
PAGE 105 Eugene Atget, "Rue des Nounains d'Hyeres." (Collection of the
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California.)
PAGE 108 Walter and Georg Benjamin, ca. 1902. (Collection of Dr. Giinthej
Anders, Vienna.)
PAGE 114 Franz Kafka, at age five, 1888. (Collection of the Adorno-Archiv,
Frankfurt am Main.)
PAGE 119 Eugene Atget, "Magasin, Avenue des Gobelins," 1925. (Matte al
bumen print, 23.0 x 16.7 cm. Collection of the J. Paul Getty Mu
seum, Los Angeles, California.)
PAGE 125 Benjamin's death certificate. (Courtesy of Dr. Konrad Scheur-
mann and the community of Port Bou, Spain.)
PAGE 131 Anonymous. Blowup of the last photograph taken of Benjamin.
(Courtesy of Dr. Konrad Scheurmann and the community of Port
Bou, Spain.)