FactoryPhotobooks

FactoryPhotobooks

Photography and industry have long enjoyed a profound and fruitful symbiotic relationship. Since the dawn of photography, large industrial companies have recognised the importance and potential power of the medium. In turn, the relationship was advantageous to photographers who were given the opportunity to experiment whilst provided with income. The work of photographers Dr. Paul Wolff, Piet Zwart, Jacob Tuggener, Margaret Bourke-White, Robert Doisneau, Francis Kollar, Rene Groebli, Hans Finsler commissioned by industry can be counted as amongst the best in their oeuvre.

Collectively, more than 140 factory photobooks from both well-known and obscure photographers and designers across Europe and North America present both a history and a visual representation of the factory, workforce and the production process. The first factory photobook, 25 years of Stork was published in 1893, and the last, just over 100 years later in 1987 by photographed Lee Friedlander - entitled Cray on the occasion of the 15-year anniversary of the eponymous computer manufacturer.