About the Artist

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  • Robert Petschow. Portrait of a Balloonist. c. 1926. Gelatin silver print, 6 3/8 x 4 3/4" (16.2 x 12.1 cm). The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Meeting Points

Artist Chronology

March 1, 1888
Born
At location: Robert Petschow
Kolobrzeg
1892
The Petschow family lives in Berlin
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1908–10
Studies economics and engineering
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin Gdansk
1913–14
Volunteers in the airship battalion; promoted to lieutenant in 1914
At location: Robert Petschow
Legnica
1914–18
Serves as a balloon observer during World War I
At location: Robert Petschow
Belgium France Poland
1919–21
Works at the district welfare office
At location: Robert Petschow
Jüterbog
1920s
Launches extensive self-financed balloon expeditions across the German countryside
Petschow makes aerial photographs during the expeditions and publishes them in aviation journals, newspapers, and magazines.
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1921–23
Lives in Berlin; joins the Aero-Klub and the Berlin Association for air shipping
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
Mid-1920s
Works as editor of the magazine Die Luftfahrt
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1927
Publishes photographs in Das Deutsche Lichtbild
Contributor: Robert Petschow
Stuttgart
1927–35
Becomes a member of the Free Balloon Committee of the German Aviation Association (DLV)
Completes his 400th ride on December 14, 1935
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1929
Franz Roh publishes Foto-Auge: 76 Fotos der Zeit
Contributor: Herbert Bayer, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Maurice Tabard, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Edward Weston, Franz Roh, Semyon Fridlyand, Robert Petschow, Sasha Stone, Dziga Vertov, Hans Finsler, Paul Edmund Hahn, J. Jay Hirz
Stuttgart
January 20–February 17, 1929
Fotografie der Gegenwart at Museum Folkwang

Kestner Gesellschaft v.V, Königstrasse 8, Hannover
March 10–April 7, 1929

Galerie Neumann-Nierendorf, Lützowstrasse 32, Berlin
April 20–May 20, 1929

Whitechapel Art Gallery, London
June 6–29, 1929

Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt
July 7–August 8, 1929

Leipziger Kunstverein, Augustusplatz 6, Leipzig
August 18–September 8, 1929

Lichthof des Neuen Rathauses, Dresden
September 15–October 6, 1929

Kunstverein, Rostock
October 20-November 10, 1929

am Adolf-Mittag-See, Städtisches Ausstellungsamt, Magdeburg
November 28–December 19, 1929

Landesgewerbeanstalt, Kaiserslautern
February 23–March 23, 1930

Vereinigung Göttinger Kunstfreunde, Göttingen
May 18–June 8, 1930

Participant: Berenice Abbott, Herbert Bayer, Aenne Biermann, Max Burchartz, Florence Henri, Lotte Jacobi, André Kertész, Germaine Krull, El Lissitzky, Man Ray (Emmanuel Radnitzky), László Moholy-Nagy, Walter A. Peterhans, Albert Renger-Patzsch, Hans Richter, August Sander, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), Lucia Moholy, Karl Blossfeldt, Erich Comeriner, Eli Lotar, Oskar Nerlinger, Robert Petschow, Frieda Gertrud Riess, Sasha Stone, Hans Finsler, Paul Edmund Hahn, Cami Stone
Essen
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
1931
Publishes photographs in Eugen Diesel's book Das Land der Deutschen
Contributor: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1931
Joins the crew of the Graf Zeppelin, airship LZ 127, to document its trip to Egypt
At location: Robert Petschow
Egypt
1931–36
Works as editor of the newspaper Der Westen
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1936
Serves as a captain in the Air Force
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1939–45
Serves as a balloon observer during World War II
At location: Robert Petschow
Berlin
1939–45
His extensive archive of 30,000 negatives is lost during World War II
Affiliated: Robert Petschow
Berlin
October 17, 1945
Dies
At location: Robert Petschow
Haldensleben

Walther Photographs

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