Book of the Month: Lingering Moment

Anyone as yet unaware of Hansgert Lambers' photographs, or who missed the exhibition in Berlin this summer, now has the chance to discover his life's work through this comprehensive monograph, published by Fotohof Edition. The viewer will surely wonder why this great photographer seems to have flown, all this time, beneath the radar of photographic history. Lambers' own ex pose publishing company has, in fact, produced a number of exquisite photo books in the past; yet, always in small editions. While he has been taking pictures for over seven decades, he describes himself in an understated manner as “a lover of photography” – not only as a photographer, but also as a publisher and reviewer.

The reason Lambers' work is, as yet, largely undiscovered is surely due to the fact that he never had to make a living from his pictures. He is a trained engineer, who was employed his entire working life, until 1993, by IBM. Photography has always been, however, his great passion – he enjoyed taking pictures in his free time, but also while on his many professional trips. The outcome is an extensive body of work; and this photo book presents a considered selection. The pictures were all taken with a Leica, and always in black and white. Lambers' first Leica was an M3, in 1956. He later exchanged it for an M4, which was followed by an M6 he still uses today.

Black and white suits Lambers' particular way of capturing the streets and squares of different European cities; yet, his main interest is in the people he encounters, during his wanderings. His pictures reveal the ability to turn fleeting moments into timeless images; and every "lingering moment" becomes a motif that is able to inspire the viewer to look a little closer, even decades later. His pictures were taken in Paris, London, Bologna, Vienna, Bratislava, Bucharest, Istanbul, Brno and Ostrava, and – time and again – Berlin: post-war West Berlin, where the scars of war remained well into the eighties; but also photographic explorations into East Berlin. The list of cities he visited extends further, and everywhere, the photographer's attentive eye managed to capture passers-by, children at play, oblivious strollers and bizarre situations; as well as moments that were absurdly funny or, conversely, melancholic.

His city and street photographs have a narrative quality, documenting memories of the atmosphere of past decades, including buildings that have since been renovated or demolished. Lambers’ images speak a lot about people's conduct, and the fashions and attitudes of each particular time –, conveying the sensitive sociologist's perception of the behaviour found in urban communities. Even in the most banal everyday situations, he was able to find exciting photographic moments. A true treasure trove. (Ulrich Rüter)

Hansgert Lambers, Lingering Moment
Published by Matthias Reichelt, with texts by Irene Bazinger, Ian Jeffrey, Matthias Reichelt
334 pages, 215 black and white images, 24 x 21.3 cm
German/English
Fotohof edition

All images on this page © Hansgert Lambers