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Did you know that What cannot be seen in the photo of the Jordan Park A gravelled alley and a square surrounded by shrubs. A view of the park captured in sepia colours. Although the very fact of taking a photo in the open at the end of the 19th century, when photography was confined to atelier decorations imitating nature is unusual, something else is also special here. It’s what cannot be seen. |
Did you know that Jan Motyka Jan Motyka (1924–2005) was a photographer from Kraków. The Museum of Photography in Kraków stores his extensive legacy, documented by catalogues of about 200 exhibitions in Poland, diplomas from international competitions (Poland, Romania, France, Great Britain, Spain, the USA, Singapore... |
Did you know that Walery Rzewuski’s atelier — photo laboratories in the 2nd half of the 19th century Walery Rzewuski’s atelier was one of the most famous photo laboratories in the 2nd half of the 19th century in Kraków. The atelier was fully equipped and the owner’s fame, resulting in financial success, allowed him to build a house which was a part of a photographic entourage, and which was arranged with great care. The residence with a garden at Kolejowa Street in Kraków (today’s Westerplatte Street) was designed according to the latest architectural trends. |
Did you know that How were autochromes made? How were autochromes made? It was a process that consisted in producing colour photographs on glass plates, as diapositives invented on 17 December 1903 by Louis and August Lumière who improved the technology in the following years and launched the mass production of autochrome plates... |
Did you know that Pseudo-solarisation Pseudo-solarisation is associated with the Sabatier effect and is visually similar to solarisation. It is characterized by a partial reversal of the negative image to the positive one under the influence of additional — even illumining — photosensitive material during the development. |
Did you know that How was the three-dimensional effect obtained in the 19th century? Stereoscopic photography was the first three-dimensional photography in history. It developed after 1851. Then, it was demonstrated for the first time at the London World Exposition, where spatial photographs aroused the delight of Queen Victoria. From that time on, stereoscopic photography became the entertainment of the bourgeoisie, and it was not until the 1930s — when fascination with film and radio began — that stereoscopy was reduced to the role of a children’s toy. |
Did you know that What could Adam Mickiewicz’s monument have looked like? Behind the scenes of the competition Although Kraków does not appear on the map of the cities where Adam Mickiewicz stayed, it is precisely here, at the most central point, that the poet’s monument was erected. Today, its presence seems obvious, but its creation was accompanied by heated discussions and disputes. The idea itself was born 14 years after the poet’s death... |
Did you know that The magic of the lantern and the magic of the cinema While the camera obscura was the prototype of a camera, the magic lantern had the same function, i.e. a that of a cinematographic projector. A dark room and a blank wall. If necessary, a white sheet can be hung on it. |
Did you know that On the beginnings of photography technique In the history of photography technique, there are many solutions enabling an improvement to photographic techniques. The first methods of obtaining photographic negatives (from the 1850s) required the use of glass plates coated with a layer of collodion, which, at the time of shooting, was still wet. After the plate had been covered with a layer of collodion and sensitized in a proper bath, the photographer had only a few minutes to slide it into a cassette placed on the back of the camera and expose it. |
Did you know that Wiesław Tomaszkiewicz — photographer, operator, mountaineer... The collection of the Museum of Photography in Kraków contains many photos by the renowned photographer and cinematographer, Wiesław Tomaszkiewicz. He was born on 1 July 1924 in Nowy Sącz and died in 2009. He was a master of Oriental Philology, a cinematographer — he took photos for documentary films — a photographer, a mountaineer and an amateur radioman. |
Did you know that Amalia Krieger, photographer “She was known in broad communities by artists and citizens both in Kraków and throughout Poland. She was widely liked for her personality and artistic background... |
Did you know that Reflex cameras — how do they work? The idea of placing a movable mirror in the camera, allowing for the projection of the image from the lens onto the horizontally mounted focusing screen, was first attempted at the turn of the 1850s and 1860s. At the end of the 19th century, many companies began to manufacture cameras that used a mirror which allowed... |
Did you know that The third dimension of the 19th century 19th century inventors sought for a method to render three-dimensionality of space; stereoscopic photography was one of such attempts. The technique consisted in taking two photographs from two various points of view. A print included two seemingly identical pictures... |
Did you know that Studio cameras Studio photo cameras, also called gazebo cameras, were intended for taking portrait photos indoors. This explains the solid and relatively heavy design of the camera and tripod, allowing for the long exposures of photos. Cameras equipped with cardboard bellows, covered with leather and canvas... |
Did you know that About the square which ceased to be the market square, about the town hall which was almost demolished and the plaque which was destroyed, but is still hanging On the eastern wall of the former Town Hall in Kazimierz shown in the photo by Jan Motyka, there is a plaque commemorating the arrival of Jews in Poland. Originally the plaque was placed... |
Did you know that From a matchbox to the Adam Mickiewicz monument The monument to Mickiewicz which was unveiled in Kraków in 1889 was not the only honour given to the poet after his death. Over the 34 years that passed since the 26th of November 1855 (the date of his death), the poet’s body and his person, reproduced in depictions and photographs, was idealised. With time, it became less and less similar to the original. It entered the sphere of myth and interpretation. |
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Blogs Entry Patrząc na Kraków |