Untitled (Berlin Zoological Garden, Two Zebras from Behind), 1935

About the Work

A studied mechanical engineer who had taught himself the photography trade, Seidenstücker went to work as a freelance photojournalist for the Ullstein publishing company in 1930. A portrayal of 1932 describes his photographs as timeless contemporary images that, with their ‘vibrant artlessness and their wit, always catch the viewer’s attention’. The shot of two zebras appeared in that article with the title Ornaments in the Berlin Zoo. Seidenstücker had composed it in such a way that the two animals virtually form mirror images of one another. The pattern of their markings echoes in modified form in the fences in the background. This humorous and carefully staged scene testifies to Seidenstücker’s photographic know-how.