Nützlich, süss und museal - das fotografierte Tier

Man beholds in the animal a part of himself and his relation to the world. Photographs show the animal as a true friend and a tool, as a dignified being and a monstrous creature. Animal pictures are reflections of the times in which they are made - whether it's a big-game hunt in the 19th century or a recent shoot for a cat food commercial. There are innumerable occasions for photographing animals: for research purposes and as trophies; to document what man has grown fond of or has exterminated; to arouse emotions or to create a work of art. This book presents the photographed animal from photography's beginnings up to the present in a depth and variety never seen before. This unique selection brings together work from the daguerreotype to modern press photographs, from amateur snapshots to images captured by famous photographers, covering practically all aspects of animal photography.