China Flight

In February 1930, the German Lufthansa airline collaborated with the Chinese Ministry of Transport to establish the Eurasia Aviation Corporation. One of the pilots to be dispatched to China in 1933 was Wulf-Diether Count of Castell-Rüdenhausen (1905–1980). His passion for aviation was complemented by his love for photography. The images he took with his Leica are valuable documents of a time when flight was still a great adventure, and allow us to partake in his experiences to this day.

Castell had the rare opportunity of flying over areas of China which hardly any European had laid eyes on, especially from the vantage point of an aerial perspective. At that time, China was an extraordinary discovery – as are Castell’s images today. Around 1500 of his Leica photographs have endured. After his death, the negatives were bequeathed to the archives of the Deutsche Museum and the Völkerkundemuseum in Munich.

The exhibition is on display at the Leica Gallery Nuremberg from 8 July to 23 September 2017. Opening times are Monday to Friday from 10.00–18.30, and Saturday from 10.00–18.00.

To accompany the exhibition, LFI has published a catalogue in both German and Chinese, available to order at the LFI Shop.