Ratibor Photo Studios Archives - bruckfamilyblog.com

POST 138: INTRIGUING DISCOVERIES ABOUT RATIBOR’S HELIOS PHOTO STUDIO

Note: Since late 2018, I have received three separate inquiries regarding the Helios Photo Studio in Ratibor [today: Racibórz, Poland]. The first query provided the inspiration for writing Post 72 about cabinet cards, a style of photographic portraiture popular from around 1870 until World War I. Following publication of Post 72, two additional readers contacted me, the first in January 2021 and the most recent in May 2023. The first reader informed me that Claus Ogerman, a famous German arranger, conductor, and composer who made his name in America, was the son of the owners of the studio, while the second reader graciously sent me photos of the inside of the studio from the 1930s and 1940s showing the owners and staff. While none of my family is connected to the workshop, several photos astonishingly picture people whose names have come up in connection with unrelated research I’m involved in. This is the first of two posts stemming from what I’ve learned, the second post of which will be written by a guest author.

This post is the first of two interconnected stories related to Ratibor, Germany [today: Racibórz, Poland], the town in Upper Silesia where my father, Dr. Otto Bruck, was born in 1907. The stories are interrelated in a fascinating way and will be presented as two separate posts because the connection is asynchronous. I discovered the links years apart, as I will explain in the following two posts. I will author this first post, and a young Polish student, Ms. Magda Wawoczny, researching the Jewish history of Ratibor will be a guest author of the subsequent story.

The discoveries generally emanate from Post 72 which I published in February 2020 right around the time the Covid-19 pandemic was declared. In that post I introduced readers to so-called “cabinet cards,” a style of photograph which was widely used for photographic portraiture after 1870; these consisted of a thin photograph mounted on a card typically measuring 108 by 165 mm (4+ ¼ by 6+ ½ inches). (Figures 1a-b) Typically, the name of the photographic studio was imprinted on cabinet cards below the photograph. Often a lithographic design covered most of the photo backing. Many designs incorporated attractive graphics, including medals or awards the studio supposedly won at some exposition or competition, or perhaps a medal of merit or excellence that was awarded by a European monarch. Sometimes, there was even an indication that the photographer or studio was the “official” photographer of a named monarch.

Figure 1a. Front side of the cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor showing my Aunt Suzanne, my father Otto, and his older brother Fedor as children

Figure 1b. Back side of the cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor

The inspiration for Post 72 came from an English lady with a Polish surname, a Ms. Gisela Szpytko, who contacted me in December 2018 asking if I had ever heard of “Helios Photography” in Ratibor; Ms. Szpytko explained her mother, who passed away in 1998, had worked there during the 1930s. Unfamiliar with this establishment, I asked my retired lawyer friend from Racibórz, Mr. Paul Newerla, who now researches and writes extensively about the history of Silesia and Ratibor whether he was familiar with this business. Paul indeed was and sent me a photo of the street along which the studio had been located (Figure 2a), a fuzzy photo of the store’s sign (Figure 2b), and an advertisement for “Photo-Helios” from a 1936 Ratibor Address Book (Figure 3); he also sent a page from the 1923 Ratibor Address Book listing all the town’s photographers at that time identifying the Photo Helios’ proprietor as Hans Ogermann, spelled with two “n’s.” (Figures 4a-b) I shared everything Paul sent with Ms. Szpytko who gratefully acknowledged receipt of the materials, telling me she was planning on visiting Racibórz soon.

Figure 2a. Postcard of Ratibor’s “Langestraße” along which “Helios” or “Photo-Helios” photo studio was located at the far end of the street

Figure 2b. Pixilated closeup of the “Fotografie Helios” store sign

Figure 3. Page from the 1936 Ratibor Address Book with the names of existing photo studios & photographers, listing “Photo-Helios” and its owner Hans Ogermann

Figure 4a. Cover of 1923 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photographic studios

Figure 4b. 1923 list of existing Ratibor photo studios

After assisting Ms. Szpytko, I set aside the issue of the Helios Photo Studio though as mentioned it gave me the inspiration to write Post 72 about cabinet cards since they produced them. Naturally, I mentioned the studio in my post. I honestly expected this would be the last time I would write about Helios Photography. This was not to be.

A little less than a year after publishing Post 72, in January 2021, I received an intriguing email from a gentleman named Mr. Jakub “Kuba” Stankiewicz about my story. As it turns out, Mr. Stankiewicz is a jazz pianist and the director of jazz studies at the Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland, known as Breslau when this section of Poland was part Germany. Kuba explained that the owner of Photo Helios, Hans Ogermann, was the father of Claus Ogerman (1930-2016) (Figure 5), who was one of the best contemporary composers and arrangers; Claus was born in Ratibor on the 20^th of April 1930 and lived there until 1945.

Figure 5. Claus Ogerman (1930-2016) (photo credit: by httpswww.imdb.comnamenm0644659, Fair use, httpsen.wikipedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=58608757)

Claus Ogerman, with one “n”, was born as Klaus Ogermann with two “n’s”, according to Wikipedia. The entry describes him as a German arranger, conductor, and composer best known for his work with Billie Holiday, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Sinatra, Michael Brecker, and Diana Krall. In addition, Kuba Stankiewicz also mentioned some of Claus’ recordings with Bill Evans and Joao Gilberto. Wikipedia provides further details:

“In 1959, Ogerman moved to the United States and joined the producer Creed Taylor at Verve Records, working on recordings with many artists, including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, Kai Winding, and Cal Tjader. Verve was sold to MGM in 1963. Ogerman, by his own reckoning in Gene Lees Jazzletter publication arranged some 60-70 albums for Verve under Creed Taylor’s direction from 1963 to 1967.”

For Americans like me who may be unaware of Claus Ogerman even though much of his career was spent here, the many pop hits he arranged during this period will no doubt sound familiar to readers, including Solomon Burke’s “Cry to Me,” and Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” “She’s a Fool,” and “Maybe I Know.” In 1965, Ogerman charted his own name and recorded the RCA single “Watusi Trumpets.” Ogerman also worked with Diana Krall arranging and recording her 2001 album “The Look of Love” and conducting parts of her “Live in Paris” performance.

At the time Kuba Stankiewicz contacted me in January 2021 he was in the process of researching Claus Ogerman and preparing a conference at the Academy of Music in Wrocław devoted to his music. While Kuba and I have stayed in touch over the years due to our mutual interest in the Jewish history of Breslau where some of my accomplished Bruck relatives hail from, I mistakenly concluded the Ogerman connection to Ratibor and Helios Photography would assuredly be the last time I would hear about this studio. Once again, I was decidedly wrong.

Several months ago in May, I was contacted by yet another person in connection to the Helios Photo Studio, a German lady by the name of Ms. Jessica Nastos. Amazingly, Jessica’s great-grandmother also worked in the studio during the 1930s-1940s. As we speak, I’m trying to determine whether Ms. Nastos’ great-grandmother may have known and/or worked at the business at the same time as Ms. Szpytko’s mother; that would indeed be quite astonishing.

Jessica graciously sent me photos in her possession of the inside of the Helios studio taken in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as an envelope with the name of the business imprinted on it. (Figure 6) Naturally, Jessica included several photos of her great-grandmother. (Figure 7) When I learned her ancestor was named Elzbieta “Lilly” Slawik née Grzonka (1926-2016) my jaw dropped, and a big chill went through my body. I want to keep readers in suspense until the subsequent post so suffice it for now to say that I was already familiar with Elzbieta Grzonka; her name had come up during Ms. Magda Wawoczny’s research on an altogether different topic when Magda asked for my help. Stay tuned for the subsequent post.

Figure 6. Business envelope from “Photo Helios” formerly located along Ratibor’s “Langestraße” (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 7. Jessica Nastos great-grandmother, Elzbieta “Lilly” Slawik née Grzonka working in the lab at Photo Helios (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 8. Elzbieta Grzonka with her mother Pauline Grzonka in the 1940s (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

The photographs Jessica Nastos sent me included images not only of Elzbieta but also her mother Pauline Grzonka (1895-1971) (Figure 8), who features prominently in the subsequent story, as well as several group pictures of the staff that worked at the Helios Studio; only one staffer was identified by name, a Ms. Maria Labudek. While not identified by name, I think the older gentleman and lady shown in two of the images are Hans Ogermann and his wife Emma Ogermann née Wrazidlo, the parents of Claus Ogerman. (Figures 9-10)

Figure 9. Group photo of young ladies working at Photo Helios with the older seated lady on left believed to be Emma Ogermann; Elzbieta is standing in the middle, while Ms. Maria Labudek is the lady standing on the far left (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Figure 10. Another group photo of staffers from Photo Helios with the gentleman believed to be Hans Ogermann; Elzbieta is seated just below him (photo courtesy of Jessica Nastos)

Obviously, the only relationship with my Bruck family of any of the above-named individuals is their association with the town in Upper Silesia where my father was born. While I have several cabinet cards depicting my family that were produced by studios in Ratibor, I don’t have any made by Helios Photography. That said, thanks to the contributions of several readers I have been able to learn a little more about the people who worked there and even uncover pictures of several of them from almost 80 years ago. Given all that was lost and destroyed during World War II, and the transition from German to Polish administration of most of Silesia, I consider this a modest contribution to the historical study of Ratibor.

REFERENCE

“Claus Ogerman.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claus_Ogerman.

POST 72: FAMILY CABINET CARDS FROM RATIBOR & BERLIN PHOTO STUDIOS

Note: In this Blog post, I discuss a few Bruck family Cabinet cards, photographic prints mounted on card stock, originating from several photo studios once located in Ratibor, Prussia, and Berlin.

The inspiration for this post came in part from a reader who inquired about the Helios photo studio in Ratibor [today: Racibórz, Poland] where her mother had worked during the 1930’s, and partially from some family photographs mounted on card stock with the names and locations of Ratibor and Berlin photo studios imprinted on the front or back.

Figure 1. Cabinet card from the former Józef Axmann photo studio in Ratibor

In time, I would learn these photographs are referred to as Cabinet cards (Figure 1), which got their name from their suitability for display in parlors—especially in cabinets. This was a style of photograph first introduced in 1863 by Windsor & Bridge in London, that was a popular medium for family portraits. The Cabinet card, 108 mm by 165 mm (4 ¼” by 6 ½”) in size, gradually superseded the smaller carte-de-visite, 64 mm by 100 mm (2 ½” by 4”), which was introduced in the 1850s. The popularity of the Cabinet card waned around the turn of the century, particularly after the introduction of the photographic postcard (Figures 2a-b), but they were still being produced right until the First World War.

Figure 2a. Front of a photographic postcard, showing my father Otto and his older sister Suzanne as children, that replaced Cabinet cards

Figure 2b. Back of photographic postcard, depicting my father Otto and Aunt Suzanne, sent by my great-aunt Franziska Bruck to her mother Olga Berliner on the 28th of April 1911

The name of the photographic studio is often imprinted on Cabinet cards under the photograph; typically a lithographic design covers most of the photo backing. Many designs incorporate attractive graphics, including medals or awards the studio supposedly won at some exposition or competition, or perhaps a medal of merit or excellence that was awarded by a European monarch. Sometimes, there is even an indication that the photographer or studio was the “official” photographer of a named monarch.

I always try to assist readers if possible, particularly if our respective ancestors originate from the same town; this sometimes presents an opportunity to learn more about the town’s history and its people, possibly obtain an alternative perspective, and often provides ideas for future Blog stories. Answering readers typically involves my consulting with more knowledgeable individuals. So, having never heard of the Helios photo studio the reader had asked about, I turned to my friend Mr. Paul Newerla, retired lawyer and current Silesian historian from Racibórz, for help. Paul sent a postcard of Langestraße, the street in Ratibor along which the Helios studio had once been located with the studio name circled (Figures 3a-b); he also included a page from a 1936 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photo studios with a larger advertisement for the “Photo-Helios.” (Figure 4) And, finally, in responding to the reader, I attached a section of a 1927 Ratibor map circling the approximate location of the studio.

Figure 3a. Postcard of Ratibor’s “Langestraße” along which “Helios” or “Photo-Helios” photo studio was located

Figure 3b. Pixilated closeup of the “Fotografie Helios” store sign

Figure 4. 1936 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photo studios & photographers, including “Photo-Helios”

More recently, I’ve turned my attention to the few Cabinet cards in my collection with the names and addresses of Ratibor and Berlin photo studios. These are often the most endearing and charming photos of my nearest relatives, specifically, my grandfather (Figure 5), along with my father (Figure 6) and his two siblings. (Figures 7-9) My ancestors literally seem to leap out from the picture and come to life.

Figure 5. “Carte-de-Visite” from the “J.D.P. Platz” photo studio in Ratibor of my grandfather Felix Bruck (1864-1927) as a child

Figure 6. Cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor of my grandfather Felix Bruck holding my father as a baby

Figure 7. Cabinet card of my Aunt Suzanne (1904-1942) as a toddler

Figure 8. Cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor of my Aunt Suzanne, my father Otto, and his older brother Fedor as children

Figure 9. Cabinet card from “Alfred Schiersch” photo studio in Ratibor of my Aunt Suzanne and my father Otto as children

The Cabinet cards depicting my family originate from three Ratibor studios, “J.D.P. Platz Kunst-Institut (Art Institute)” (Figure 10); “Oskar Krispien” at Oberwallstraße 10 (Figure 11); and “Alfred Schiersch” at Wilhelmstraße 12 (Figure 12); and two Berlin studios, “W. Höffert” with two locations, Leipziger Platz 12 and Unter der Linden 24 (Figure 13); and “V. Scheurich” at Friedrichstrasse 2017 in Berlin S.W. (Figure 14)

Figure 10. Backside of “Carte-de-Visite” from the “J.D.P. Platz” photo studio in Ratibor

Figure 11. Backside of a Cabinet card from the “Oskar Krispien” photo studio in Ratibor

Figure 12. Front side of a Cabinet card from the “Alfred Schiersch” photo studio in Ratibor

Figure 13. Backside of a Cabinet card from “W. Höffert” listing two Berlin locations, Leipziger Platz 12 and Unter der Linden 24, and six other city locations

Figure 14. Backside of a Cabinet card from “V. Scheurich” photo studio in Berlin

Curious whether I could learn more about these studios, I again turned to Mr. Newerla for help on the ones in Ratibor. In response to my query, Paul sent the list of existing photo studios from Ratibor Address Books for three years, 1889 (Figures 15a-b), 1923 (Figures 16a-b), and 1938. (Figures 17a-b) The 1889 directory showed J.D.P. Platz was located at Oberwallstraße 8, while the 1923 and 1938 directories indicated “Helios” or “Photo-Helios,” owned by Hans Ogermann, the studio the reader had asked me about, at Lange Straße 10. Alfred Schiersch was also listed in the 1923 and 1938 directories but shown to be at two different addresses, Oberzborstraße 8, then Eisenbahnstraße 3. None of the directories listed Oskar Krispien.

Figure 15a. Cover of 1889 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photographic studios

Figure 15b. 1889 list of existing Ratibor photo studios

Figure 16a. Cover of 1923 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photographic studios

Figure 16b. 1923 list of existing Ratibor photo studios

Figure 17a. Cover of 1938 Ratibor Address Book listing existing photographic studios

Figure 17b. 1938 list of existing Ratibor photo studios

In addition to pages from various Ratibor Address Books, Paul sent me a link to “The Museum of Family History, Education and Research Center,” a virtual (Internet-only), multimedia, and interactive creation designed to help people learn more about modern Jewish history. Within this virtual museum is a link at “www.fotorevers.eu” to The Museum of Family History’s collection of over 3500 photos. This Polish and German language website documents by city the activities of photographers and their studios in the years 1850-1914; for Ratibor, it includes Jozef Axmann, Atelier Helios, and Platz Ph. (Figure 18), while for Berlin, W. Höffert is shown to be in multiple cities.

Figure 18. Page from “www.fotorevers.eu” website listing three Ratibor photos studios from which “The Museum of Family History, Education and Research Center” has pictures

The Cabinet card depicting my grandparents around the time they got married in 1894 was taken at the W. Höffert studio (Figure 19), which on the reverse side of the card lists locations in seven German cities though more are known. (Figure 13) A different Cabinet card picturing only my grandfather at about the same age was taken at the “V.Scheurich” studio in Berlin. (Figure 20) Possibly, both photos were made in Berlin, although the wedding picture could certainly have been taken in Breslau, closer to Ratibor. However, the fact that neither picture was taken in Ratibor made me wonder where my grandparents married. Both were born in Ratibor and owned the Bruck’s family hotel there; additionally, I have a poem written by my grandfather’s brother, Wilhelm “Willy” Bruck, in honor of his brother’s wedding on the 11^th of February 1894 that was printed in Ratibor, strongly suggesting my grandparents were married there. Yet, I had not previously found their wedding certificate at the Polish State Archives in Racibórz on two previous visits.

Figure 19. Cabinet card from “W. Höffert” in Berlin of my grandparents, Felix & Else Bruck, when they got married in 1894

Figure 20. Cabinet card from “V. Scheurich” in Berlin of my grandfather from around the same time as he got married in 1894

Knowing exactly the day my grandparents got married, I scoured the Landesarchiv Berlin database for their names but came up empty. Once again, I asked Paul Newerla whether he could check at the Polish State Archives in Racibórz for their wedding certificate on the off-chance I missed it, and sure enough he found it with ease. Possibly, my grandparents honeymooned in Berlin, and had their wedding photos taken there.

The reverse side of the Cabinet card from W. Höffert states: “Königlich Sächs., Königlich Preuss., Hof Photograph Sr. Königlich Hoh., Hof Photograph des Prinzen von Wales.” (i.e., Royal Saxon., Royal Preuss., Court Photographer Sr. Royal Dynasty Hohenzollern, Court Photographer of the Prince of Wales) In addition, there are three medals of merit or excellence illustrated on the Cabinet card. (Figure 13)

In the case of the Cabinet cards picturing my grandparents and their three children, since I know their vital statistics, they do not add to my knowledge of when specific events may have taken place or when they were born. However, for readers who may not have this information for their ancestors, knowing that Cabinet cards were in vogue between roughly 1866 and ca. 1914 may help narrow the window of time for which ancestral information is sought.