Alexander Hackenschmied

About the Artist

Antonin Horak. Alexander Hackenschmied. 1936. Gelatin silver print. Courtesy Tino Hammid. © 2014 Tino and Julia Hammid
Alternate Name(s) Alexander (Sasha) Hammid (Alternate Name)

Meeting Points

Cultural Hubs New York
Prague
Exhibitions Film und Foto, 1929
Nová fotografie, 1930

Artist Chronology

December 17, 1907	Born At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Linz
Early childhood until 1939	Lives in Prague At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1919	Begins taking photographs when his uncle gives him a Voigtländer 6 x 9 cm camera At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1927–28	Begins studying architecture at the Czech Institute of Technology but eventually switches to art history at Charles University At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1928	Works with Gustav Machatý as an artistic advisor on the film Erotikon At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1929	Cofounded the Film-Klub At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1929–32	Writes regularly about film for Národní Osvobození and the illustrated weekly Pestrý týden Contributor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1929	Publishes an article about the Film und Foto exhibition in Fotografický obzor Contributor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
May 18–July 7, 1929	Internationale Ausstellung des Deutschen Werkbunds Film und Foto (FiFo) at Städtische Ausstellungshallen Kunstgewerbemuseum, Zurich August 28–September 22, 1929 Im Lichthof des Ehemaligen Kunstgewerbemuseums, Prinz-Albrechs-Strasse 7, Berlin October 19–November 17, 1929 Stadtmuseum, Danzig (dates unknown) Österreichisches Museum, Vienna February 20–March 31, 1930 Agram, Zagreb April 5–14, 1930 Münchner Bund/Verein Ausstellungspark München E.V. (as part of Internationale Ausstellung. Das Lichtbild), Munich June 5–September 7, 1930 Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo April 1931 Asahi Shimbun, Osaka July 1–7, 1931 Participant: Berenice Abbott, Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Anton Bruehl, Francis Bruguière, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Helmar Lerski, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Charles Sheeler, Edward Steichen, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Lucia Moholy, Werner Rohde, George Hoyningen-Huene, Gustav Klutsis, Karl Blossfeldt, Heinz Loew, Erich Comeriner, Semyon Fridlyand, Roman Karmen, Eli Lotar, Oskar Nerlinger, Robert Petschow, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Yva (Else Simon), Willy Zielke, Irene Bayer-Hecht, Hans Finsler, Cami Stone Organizer: El Lissitzky, László Moholy-Nagy, Hans Richter, Edward Steichen, Edward Weston, Dziga Vertov Visitor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Stuttgart
1930	Makes Bezúčelná procházka (Aimless walk), the first Czech avant-garde film At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1930	Publishes his manifestos "Nezávislý film: světové hnutí" (Independent film: a world movement) and "Avantgarda žije" (The avant-garde is alive) At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
Early 1930s	Works as a photographer for Pestrý týden Contributor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
April 1930	Organizes the first Czech screening of European avant-garde film to accompany the photography exhibition At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
May 1930	Nová fotografie at Aventinská Mansarda Participant: Jaromír Funke, Jaroslav Rössler, Alexander Hackenschmied, Jiří Lehovec Organizer: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
June–September 1930	Das Lichtbild exhibition Participant: Aenne Biermann, Bill Brandt, Max Burchartz, César Domela-Nieuwenhuis, Florence Henri, Lotte Jacobi, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, Helmar Lerski, Walter A. Peterhans, August Sander, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Lucia Moholy, Werner Rohde, Franz Roh, Marianne Breslauer, Alexander Hackenschmied, Edmund Kesting, Jean Moral, Willy Zielke, Lore Feininger, Hans Finsler	Munich
January 1931	2. Výstava Nové Fotografie at Aventinská Mansarda Organizer: Alexander Hackenschmied Participant: Jiří Lehovec	Prague
1931–32	Regular contributor to the illustrated publication Eva 4 Contributor: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
June and July 1933	Deuxième exposition internationale de la photographie et du cinéma at Palais des Beaux-Arts Participant: André Kertész, Werner Rohde, Alexander Hackenschmied, Sasha Stone, Cami Stone	Brussels
Early 1935–1938	Works for the Baťa Film Studio, making many advertising and documentary films At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
1936	Travels with colleagues from Zlín to purchase film equipment for a new studio At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	New York Los Angeles Chicago
March 6–April 13, 1936	Mezinárodní Výstava Fotografie at Mánes Participant: Raoul Hausmann, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Alexander Hackenschmied, Jaroslava Hatláková, Edmund Kesting, František Vobecký	Prague
1937	Photographs and films Jan Antonín Baťa's trip through India At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Sri Lanka India
Spring 1938	Makes the feature-length documentary film Crisis, covering the political situation in the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Prague
March 13, 1939	The film Crisis premieres in New York Affiliated: Alexander Hackenschmied	New York
December 1939	Lives in New York At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	New York
1940	Travels to Mexico to work on the film The Forgotten Village At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	Mexico City
January and February 1943	Solo exhibition of photographs at the Pasadena Institute of Art Participant: Alexander Hackenschmied	Los Angeles
1943–45	Directs documentary films for the Office of War Information At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	New York
1946	Becomes an American citizen At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	New York
July 26, 2004	Dies At location: Alexander Hackenschmied	New York