In 1845 the Frankfurt Städel was the first art museum in the world to exhibit photographic works. The invention of the new medium had been announced in Paris just six years earlier.
In the 175th anniversary of that momentous event, in keeping with the tradition, the Städel is now devoting a comprehensive special exhibition to European photo art – “Lichtbilder. Photography at the Städel Museum from the Beginnings to 1960” – presenting the photographic holdings of the museum’s Modern Art Department till 5 October 2014. In addition to such pioneers as Nadar, Gustave Le Gray, Roger Fenton and Julia Margaret Cameron, the show features photography heroes of the twentieth century such as August Sander, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Man Ray, Dora Maar or Otto Steinert.