Berlin, Paris and elsewhere

Exhibition at the Kunsthalle Mannheim | June 27 – October 05, 2025

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Mario von Bucovich (1884-1947) was one of the most important portrait photographers of the 1920s. He had a significant influence on the German-language illustrated press, particularly in the field of glamor photography. His portraits include famous personalities such as Marlene Dietrich, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Leni Riefenstahl. He was also a pioneer of the modern metropolis photo book. His Berlin book, published in 1928, was an outstanding sales success and is still regarded as the most widely-received Berlin picture book. Despite this early recognition, he has largely been forgotten. This is mainly due to the constant changes of location and new professional beginnings that the political upheavals of the 20th century forced him to make. Bucovich was a globally networked photographer who constantly developed his style and sought out new challenges, whether as a graphic designer for Agfa, an industrial photographer for BASF or an advertising photographer for the emerging Spanish and Mexican tourism industry. The Kunsthalle Mannheim is now giving him the recognition he deserves and honoring him with the first comprehensive retrospective.

(Text: Kunsthalle Mannheim)

Karl Schenker's glamorous images were the theme of the major 2016/2017 exhibition at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, with a total of 34 original works by the photographer from the ullstein bild collection. The Karl Schenker studio in Berlin, which Mario von Bucovich took over in 1925, was one of the key partners of the Ullstein publishing house. At this time, the publications were directly linked to the success of their photographers. It is no coincidence that the portraits of the publisher Rudolf Ullstein (ub 00837445) and the artistic director Kurt Safranski were taken at Bucovich's studio: certainly a personal contact over a short distance. The pictures from the studio at Budapester Straße 6 – the address is noted on the back of the photo – were printed in 1927 in the Ullstein anniversary publication 50 Jahre Ullstein. Another photo back at ullstein bild documents the connection from a working point of view: “Etching for control at Schnebel – Szafranski” is noted to accompany a portrait study published in 1923 in Ullstein's Die Dame (ub 02632920). Publishing director Kurt Safranski and Carl Schnebel from the artistic advisory board at Ullstein are thus named as responsible and direct contacts. The reference to Bucovich's groundbreaking photo book Berlin can also be found on the back of the photo “Portal am ehemaligen Marstall” published in 1928 (ub 00850068). Other photographs from this context of the Berlin photo book show one of Berlin's first high-rise buildings, the Lenz-Haus in Kurfuerstenstrasse (ub 00074236), and “The Pedestrians” (ub 02646981) with a modern city perspective. In his foreword to this book, the writer Alfred Döblin sharpens the view of the growing metropolis: “Berlin is an unpoetic, very little colorful, but very true city.” And in an appeal at the end of his text: “But, hold still, listen up, look around, breathe, move, something is going on here, it's a modern, young, forward-looking giant settlement! Suddenly the monotony of its houses will shake you too and you will recognize the energy, vitality and bravery of this people here, the diversity of its types, you will see that this is where they live, where they work and build, where the great, serious mass being of Berlin rests on the sandy ground, without a care in the world.”

We are delighted that a selection of original works by Mario von Bucovich from the ullstein bild collection can be seen in the retrospective Berlin, Paris and elsewhere – Mario von Bucovich 1925-1947.

First publication on May 15, 2025.

In the gallery you can see a selection of the original photographs from the ullstein bild collection.

You can find the complete photo dossier „Mario von Bucovich at Ullstein“ at ullstein bild.