|
Das Rheinische Bildarchiv
(Rhenish Photographic Archive)
The Rheinisches Bildarchiv collects photographs on the history of art, architecture,
culture and photography in Cologne. Founded in 1925 it is now part of the “Museen
der Stadt Köln” and open to the general public. It is dedicated to
the photographic documentation of Cologne’s topography and urban development,
the inventories of the city’s museums, public and religious buildings,
and the integration of the estates of photographers from Cologne. In addition,
the archive owns numerous historical photographs of towns and villages in the
Rhineland which it acquired through its past activities.
Current prints are made by the photographic workshop of the archive. Acquisitions
and donations over the last few years have enabled the archive to add to its
collection a large number of prints from the estates of some of the most outstanding
Cologne photographers, such as August Sander, August Kreyenkamp, Karl Hugo,
Hugo Schmölz, P. P. Fürst and Chargesheimer.
Unlike other archives, the Rheinisches Bildarchiv focusses on negatives. The
collection today comprises roughly 500,000 black-and-white negatives in different
techniques and formats, ranging from the historical glass plate to 35mm negatives.
A specialist is in charge of the care and, where necessary, restoration of
the negatives. In addition, there is a collection of around 20,000 large-scale
colour slides mainly showing objects from the permanent collections or special
exhibitions at museums in Cologne.
The archive is open to the general public. Visitors can search for photographs
using the “Marburger Index – Inventar zur Kunst in Deutschland”,
a systematic microfiche index in which 50% of the black-and-white photographs
have been archived. The “Marburger Index” is in the reading room
of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst (museum of applied arts) and can also
be browsed on the Internet at www.bildindex.de . Staff at the reading room
and archive will be happy to assist visitors with any queries they may have.
Ordering prints
Prints of any photograph archived in the “Marburger Index” can
be ordered from the Bildarchiv. You will find the inventory number of a photograph
below its caption. Please note that the Bildarchiv can only make prints from
inventory numbers with the initial “RBA” code. Please find an order
form on our website under “ordering prints and general conditions of
delivery”. Transparencies can be borrowed for a maximum period of 3 months.
Prints and scans of transparencies are available on request.
All black-and-white prints are available on glossy baryte paper in sizes
from 13 x 18 cm (5” x 7”) to 50 x 60 cm (19.5” x 23.5”).
Please contact us if you require different sizes. We charge customers for any
work undertaken on their behalf.
Any publication – in printed works, films, electronic media etc. – of
the materials borrowed or bought requires the permission of the Rheinisches
Bildarchiv. To obtain permission, please contact the archive stating the purpose
of the publication. Please be sure to send a specimen copy of any publication
to the postal address of the Rheinisches Bildarchiv.
To order please contact us on rba@rbakoeln.de
|
