Einstieg in die Straßenbahn, 1933

About the Work

In the narrow frame of this image, Frankfurt photographer Paul Wolff shows a woman boarding a tram. The photograph was actually taken as a commissioned work for L.B.O. Strümpfe, but it could have been used as an advertisement for local public transport as well. Especially during the world economic crisis, people were encouraged to use public transport more and so improve flexible mobility at work and in their leisure time. The picture underlines the role Wolff played in German photography: his works demonstrate how he lent shape to modern pictorial forms using a moderate style. In this way, each of his photographs could meet other requests and themes through his own agency. The beginnings of today's stock photography can be found in this system of commercialised image distribution.