Three Wergo slides

OBJECT OF THE MONTH MAY 2024

Our object of the month for May is a true serendipitous find: While sorting and archiving numerous slides from our donor F.C. Gundlach, in 9 x 12 cm and 13 x 18 cm formats, primarily old advertising photographs for Uhli, Hertie, Ford, and others, we came across these remarkable works. Two of the three photographs were superimposed in such a way that they created a strikingly new composition. The overlapping image suddenly revealed itself as a surreal scene with two heads and four legs, vaguely reminiscent of depictions of Hindu deities.

The unexpected discovery is likely a fur advertisement, possibly made of beaver fur, created for a company called "Wergo." The female model sits in an elegant sidesaddle position on a leather armchair supported by crossed steel legs. The design strongly resembles Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Bauhaus Barcelona chair, designed for the German Pavilion at the 1929 World's Fair in Spain.

The exact date the studio photographs were taken is unknown. However, they demonstrate how chance occurrences in archival work can lead to artistically fascinating results. The slides impress not only with their technical quality but also with their creative presentation, which was both originally intended and is now enhanced by the element of chance.

A well-deserved object of the month, we think!