The name Bruno Mooser does not appear in all relevant lists in which major photographers of this world are listed. He would certainly have deserved such an appreciation, as an exhibition in Straubing just impressively testified. Mosser understood himself only as an amateur photographer, but he was professionally ambitious. Ultimately, he has made far too little fuss around himself and his art to become popular.

From photographic can and from precision of his gaze, 2009 died Mosser must still be counted among great of Photographers Guild. In addition, his fascinating recordings will surely arouse interest for a long time, because of 130 000 negatives and slides he has left, only a few thousand prints have existed so far. Most of his photographic work is unknown. What surprises and sensations are still to be expected, exhibition in Straubing shows clearly, although re is not breadth of his work being presented, but above all pictures from field of deaf pedagogy.

Pictures of Mooser noiseless world in pictures more...

At first glance, it turns out that Mosser was a perfectionist who placed highest demands on his paintings. Only a few photographs were sufficient to meet his quality standards, and only pictures he thought were perfect, he made prints. Despite this reluctance, he experienced international recognition during his lifetime. The magazine Leica Fotografie even referred to it as "Master of Leica".

That Mooser first caught up with photos of deaf-mute children depends on his profession. After studying deaf pedagogy, he entered 1952 as a teacher in Straubing deaf-mute institution. There he devoted himself henceforth to task of unlocking deaf-mute children, who often came from remote Einöd farms of Bavarian Forest, to open up world of learning, experience and fellowship. He later developed a series of books, and until retirement 1988, he worked as deputy director of Hörgeschädigteninstituts in Straubing.

From beginning, Mooser accompanied his professional environment with camera. This is why his paintings not least illuminate development of Hörgeschädigtenpädagogik. Recordings of children who learn to listen made a stir in professional community. The 1956 photograph of a deaf-mute peasant boy, who for first time hears something thanks to sound meter, is probably most famous work of Mooser. Here everything fits: moment, light, perspective, background.

The photography expert Bernd Lohe wrote once, alone for this image, one would have to expect Mosser to be great photographers. "The deep human movement inherent in such a process jumps from a leaf-exposed and developed bromine silberpapiers with such intensity,... as if no technical apparatus, no chemical processes are interconnected."

But because Mosser did not want to be labelled as a "deaf-mooser", he took a more and more view of lower Bavarian world of life. He held people, ir customs, ir everyday life and ir work with camera firmly, realizing early that most of it was in pass. Much he took true at his house visiting hearing children.

He portrayed people at earliest after a few visits, he first pressed on trigger when confidence was taken and people were unbiased. To freedom of not having to photograph professionally, he joined him with a fundamental attitude of respect: "The people I portray are personalities and not objects of show."

A treasure Slumbers in city archives

To record a decisive moment in a documentary and witty way, as great Henri Cartier-Bresson once succeeded, that also made mooser over and over again. A single picture was enough to tell a story. Like his recording from Valhalla, as a cleaning lady, unimpressed on ladder standing, in front of a school group dust of busts sweeps. The phenomenon of Valhalla has never been recorded.

From his photographic work, which Mooser has left to municipal archives of Straubing, only a fraction has been published so far. "We have now put a lot of money into our hands to sift, arrange and digitize this estate," says city archivist Dorit-Maria Krenn. This work showed that only 1700 pictures have professional environment of moosers on subject. 218 of m are now to be seen in current exhibition. But you already make it clear what a photographic treasure slumbers in city archive of Straubing. A unique documentation of European life Worlds from second half of 20th century, captured from viewpoint of a great expert.

In Bavaria's archives Lie Treasures City Archives are famous knowledge stores, but often hardly anchored in public consciousness. Seven institutions now want to change this with an offensive. by Hans scratches more... Date Of Update: 07 October 2017, 12:10