Arhivski vjesnik, Vol. 61 No. 1, 2018.
Original scientific paper
“The Unsurpassable Photographer of Zagreb” – A Contribution to Life and Activity of Ivan Standl
Hrvoje Gržina
orcid.org/0000-0001-8064-0144
; Croatian State Archives, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This article chronologically explains the known and so far many unknown information about the life and work of a Zagreb photographer Ivan Standl, based on the research of the archival records, periodicals and numerous photographs kept in various Croatian institutions. Born in Prague, this photographer began his work in Zagreb in 1864 and almost immediately upon the arrival won the prize on the Economic Exhibition (Prva dalmatinsko-slavonsko-hrvatska izložba plodinah,
tvorinah i umjetninah). This was the beginning of imposing series of eight rewards won on various exhibitions throughout Europe (besides Zagreb, he won the awards in Moscow in 1872, London 1874, Teplice 1879, Székesfehérvár 1879, Eger 1881, Trieste 1882 and Budapest 1885), two medals (‘The Highest Recognition’ in 1869 and ‘The Golden Medal for Science and Art’ in 1881), as well as the title ‘The Photographer of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts’ which was bestowed upon him in 1874. All the medals and awards were printed on the background of the decorative cardboard of Standl’s photographs in the sequence he received them, testifying until today about the high quality and continuity of his photographic work. During his long active years in Zagreb Standl’s photographic studio changed several addresses. He began his work at 750 Ilica Street and for a short while he worked at the same time as a lease-holder at György Mayer’s studio at 867 Ilica Street. Around 1866 he moved to a new studio at 747 Ilica Street, where he remained until 1875. After that he moved to 9 Mesnička Street where he worked until his death. The photographic work in the studio was represented in great deal almost since Standl’s very arrival to Zagreb and later he began to take photographs outside the studio, mostly of landscapes, urban panoramas, architecture and
cultural monuments. He went to the island of Krk on two occasions (in 1865 and 1869) to photograph the Baška tablet. He mostly published the work taken outside the studio in the form of volumes, photo albums or books. In 1869 Standl himself produced the album entitled ‘Remembrance of Zagreb’, dedicating it and giving it to Emperor Francis Joseph I during his visit to Zagreb. Besides portraits taken at his studio or photographs shot outside, Standl photographed various historical documents, works of art and artefacts, while his numerous photographs were also used as illustrations in the works of the contemporary renowned scientists of various profiles (Franjo Rački, Josip Torbar, Ljudevit Vukotinović, Dragutin Gorjanović-Kramberger etc.). He was the official court photographer and a close associate of the Art Society in Zagreb. Near the end of his life, due to his big
experience and verified work quality, Standl began his pedagogic activity, passing his knowledge to first photo-amateurs of Zagreb gathered around the Club of Photo Amateurs at the Art Society, putting his studio at their disposal from 1894. He died in Zagreb on 30 August 1897 and after his death the studio was run for a short while by his widow Klementina. It stopped working on 1 August 1898. For more than three decades Standl left numerous traces of his various photographic activity, as well as particularly valuable visual documents of various aspects of the Croatian society from the second half of the 19th century. The importance of his work exceeded the scope of Zagreb long ago, establishing him as one of the greatest names of the Croatian photography of the 19th century.
Keywords
Ivan Standl; Zagreb; photography; photographer; photographic studio; Yugoslav Academy of Science and Arts; Art Society
Hrčak ID:
216946
URI
Publication date:
14.9.2018.
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