Stefania Gurdowa

Seth recently returned from Germany with a few goodies in hand resulting from a visit to the renowned German bookseller Schaden. Sebastian (who is one of the booksellers there) recommended a book of studio portraits by Polish photographer Stefania Gurdowa. Born only four years after Mike Disfarmer in Poland, Stefania ran her own photographic workshop from 1921-1937. The images presented in "Negatives are to be Stored" were found only 12 years ago hidden behind a wall in her first portrait studio. During the war Gordowa was forced to work for the Nazi regime but afterwards she continued to photograph for many more years. Tragically, the majority of her archive had been lost after her death in 1968. This collection of images is remarkable. When I turn the pages I am endlessly impressed with how truly amazing and fascinating these people and for that matter all people are. For me, there is even a deeper more visceral reaction to these photographs that I can not even find the words to describe. I love that these as well as Disfarmer's photographs yield a very tangible connection to our fellow man.
It is our good fortune that the work has been found and presented in this beautiful volume.