- Bruno Schulz as seen through the lens of a friend, a photographer from Drohobych -
Bruno Schulz (1892–1942), writer, painter, illustrator, graphic artist – Portrait photograph. Drohobych, ca. 1934. Photographer: Bertold Schenkelbach. Black-and-white photograph, 9 x 6 cm.
Portrait photograph—a head and shoulders shot of Bruno Schulz, an outstanding writer and artist, the “chronicler” of Drohobych. On the reverse , a stamp reads: “B. Schenkelbach Art. Photographer. Drohobych, 10 Bednarska St.” Bertold Schenkelbach (1893–1942), a photographer, skier, and mountaineer working in Drohobych, was awarded a prize at the Poznań Exhibition in 1926. The artist became famous for his views of Drohobych, as well as panoramas of the Carpathians and portraits of the Hutsuls. Schenkelbach was friends with Schulz and supplied him with exposed photographic plates, which were used to create, among other things, the drawings for *The Book of Idolatry*. Schulz’s engravings were reproduced right there in the studio on Bednarska Street, and Schenkelbach himself had a significant influence on Schulz’s graphic work. As an enthusiast of artistic photography and an experimenter, he amassed an extensive specialized library. He was also interested in contemporary art and painting. During World War II, in order to survive, Schankelbach worked as a documentary photographer for, among others, Karl Günther (Schulz’s killer). He and his wife were murdered in the Bełżec camp. Most of Schankelbach’s work was destroyed; the few remaining pieces were scattered. Slight surface damage to the photograph. Minor soiling on the reverse, with a pencil inscription (dated 1934); overall condition is good. An extremely rare find!!!
