Stalingrad photos in private collections

[jmark]

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of compiling a book about the German attack on Stalingrad composed entirely of photos (a Bildband). I just returned from Germany having spent several days in the Bildarchiv in Koblenz. Unfortunately, there are not many genuine photos of Stalingrad. That was a surprise for me! For the book, I'm using 'official' photos from archives interspersed with photos from private collections (including many from my own collection) and from many other sources. In the book, each photo will have a detailed caption describing the location, date and people shown in the photo.

I am hoping that perhaps there are some collectors here who might like to contribute some photos to this work. I am specifically looking for photos that show the fighting in the city itself and on its outskirts. I know that many excellent press photographs of Stalingrad have been sold on Ebay, so maybe some of those buyers are reading this now. If so, please contact me (info@leapinghorseman.com). Also, I would like to hear from anyone who has photo albums or individual photos of what they think is Stalingrad. I will gladly confirm if they are Stalingrad or not!

When you think about it, there must be thousands of excellent Stalingrad photos tucked away in private collections. So why not put them to use... let the world see them! Of course all photos would be properly credited. What do you think? Can you help? If you do decide to send photos, hi-res scans would be all I need, so your precious photos wouldn't leave your site.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jason Mark
- - -
Leaping Horseman Books
http://www.leapinghorseman.com

[Martijn]

Hi Jason,

I don't have any of such photos.
I was thinking - but maybe I am to naïve here: wouldn't it be possible to use stills from film if you end up with too few photos? Often enough I have seen scenes from Stalingrad on television, so apparently the footage exists.
Well, as a last resort maybe.

Martijn

People, any Stalingrad images in the collection?

[Guenter Braun]

Hi everyone,

...
When you think about it, there must be thousands of excellent Stalingrad photos tucked away in private collections.
...

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jason Mark
- - -

Hello Jason,

I suppose you must search for these pictures in Russia.

Please consider the awful gravity of the situation for German soldiers in Stalingrad. They had no time for taking pictures and if so, everything was lost at the end and maybe captured by the Russians.

The few soldiers who could leave Stalingrad before the defeat brought back only the cloths they were wearing and nothing else. They were happy to stay alive did not care about pictures or other items that were left back.

This is the rason why you found no pictures at the Bundesarchiv.


Guenter

[jmark]

Thanks for the replies, Martijn and Guenter.

Martijn, I have more than enough photos, I'd just like to publish some new and never-before-seen photos. Private photos have more immediacy and impact than official photos, especially when individuals in the photos are named. Over the last couple of years, I've managed to obtain quite a few private photos of Stalingrad, and I know of many others that I was not able to purchase (or was outbid on). I do plan on using a few stills from films to show certain aspects of the battle that were not captured in photos.

Guenter, I am interested in photos from the German attack on Stalingrad (August to November 1942), not from the final days of the Kessel in January 1943. During the autumn of 1942 in Stalingrad, many soldiers had cameras and a lot of their photos were sent home before the Soviet counteroffensive on 19 November. I conservatively estimate there must be thousands, but there are probably more. Nevertheless, I have managed to obtain copies of photos taken in the Stalingrad Kessel from December 1942 and even a few from early January 1943! So even photos from the encirclement do exist.

The lack of official Stalingrad photos (from the August to November period) in Bundesarchiv is hard to explain. Being a static battle that lasted for months, many PK photographers must have been in the city. I conducted a thorough search of the contact sheets at BA and eliminated many photos that are still commonly thought to be Stalingrad, but did not find many new ones. I think something happened post-war to split up the photos (as many photos of Stalingrad appear in foreign archives, but not in Bundesarchiv).

Thanks to the people who have already replied to me via email or private message. Keep 'em coming!

Best wishes,
Jason

[Doug Kenwright]

one problem that was known at the time is that the film stock did not hold up well in the coldest weather for any great length of time. Also,a JU transport plane crashed or was shot down taking with it 12 members of the pk ladened with film from the still and movie cameras..a great loss to be sure

[jmark]

Also, a JU transport plane crashed or was shot down taking with it 12 members of the pk ladened with film from the still and movie cameras..a great loss to be sure

I have never heard about this before. Can you provide some more information about it? And approximately what date did this happen?

The photos I am interested in were taken between August and November 1942, so freezing weather and its effect on film stock would not have been an issue.

Best wishes,
Jason

[Doug Kenwright]

hi Jason
i was referring to a lack of the later pics including many taken from inside the cauldron.while i don't have my reference books at hand,from memory i can relate that a book came out in the late sixties by a PK member who was taken out on one of the last armoured vehicles that could run,to include a group of nurses.The other pk's were to collect up all film stock stills etc. and were to be evacuated from one of the last strips in German hands. immediately after takeoff the plane crashed or was shot down,killing all on board.

this tradgedy is compounded because i believe that they had rounded up everything that was available to them. I do recall that the day these men died was the worst single loss day(for the Luftwaffe) with as many as 34 twin and triple motor fixed wings shot down or crashed due to a combination of lack of mainteneance and weather.