Werner Bischof: Unseen Colour

A selection of Werner Bischof's restored early color images.



Swiss photographer Werner Bischof (1916-54) is best known for his impressive black-and-white images. Far too little is known of Bischof's early color photographs, comprising studio work in fashion and advertising photography as well as reportage from war-damaged European cities. For these, Bischof used various types of cameras, including a Devin Tricolor, an elaborate one-shot color separation device. Some 200 of Bischof's Devin Tricolor negatives have been restored and a selection of them published in this book for the first time.



The beautifully illustrated volume is fascinating not only from a photo-historical perspective; even these early color images reveal Bischof's outstanding, sensitive aesthetic that characterizes his entire oeuvre. Over one hundred color plates are supplemented with texts by Clara Bouveresse, Peter Pfrunder, and Luc Debraine.