These days, there is no shortage of photography publications and encyclopedias. There are so many of them that professional photographers and amateurs alike can not only satisfy their curiosity but even end up with a bit of an overload.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were also quite a few different photo magazines throughout the Russian Empire.
These publications can be broadly divided into three groups;
1) the governing bodies of commercial firms,
2) magazines represented by their editor-in-chief,
3) the governing bodies of photographic societies.
There were so many publications of this kind that reviewing them all would take far more than one article. The images of our beloved city featured in their pages are a topic unto themselves.
But today I’d like to tell you a little about just one such magazine. It was published in Kharkiv in 1910 and had a straightforward title: *Fotograf*. Its founder and publisher was Anatoly Feliksovich Werner.
The history and achievements of this man—who was truly outstanding on a citywide scale—are described in detail in the book *Photographers of the Kharkiv Governorate, 1851–1917*, published in 2008 by Saga Publishing. According to one of the editors of the aforementioned book, Andrei Paramonov, it is precisely Anatoly Werner who, thanks to his active work, belongs to that small number of Kharkiv photographers about whose lives much is known.
Anatoly Feliksovich Werner (? – Nov. 14, 1910)
Professional photographer, member of the Imperial Kharkiv Russian Technical Society, publisher of the magazine *Fotograf*, and owner of stores and warehouses selling photographic equipment.Anatoly Feliksovich Werner—a member of the hereditary nobility—arrived in Kharkiv in the early 20th century and opened a warehouse and store at 4 Moskovskaya Street, selling photographic supplies, magic lanterns, gramophones, phonographs, telephones, doorbells, stereoscopes, etc.
He later opened another store in the University Garden. In Kharkiv, A. Werner launched a vigorous campaign to promote photography. Thanks to his active involvement, the Kharkiv branch of the Imperial Russian Technical Society received the latest technical innovations, supplies, manuals, and practical guides from abroad. As a result, his work was duly recognized. He was admitted as a full member of the Technical Society, became a supplier to it, and in 1904 was awarded a diploma from the Society for contributing to the successful development of photography in southern Russia. In addition, he supplied technical innovations to the Imperial Kharkiv University, the Technological and Veterinary Institutes. At the same time, A. Werner’s photography studio opened, specializing in the production of albums featuring industrial facilities and noble estates in the Kharkiv Governorate. A. Werner was the first in Kharkiv to produce photographs for stereoscopes, as well as color photographs using the autochrome process, for which he received a large gold medal from the Imperial Technical Society. He was an active organizer and participant in photography exhibitions in Kharkiv and Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipro—Ed.), presented his own artistic photographs, and made every effort to bring the latest innovations in photographic technology to the exhibitions. In late September 1910, at a photography exhibition in Yekaterinoslav, A. Werner was awarded a small silver medal for his excellent work in promoting photography, equipping schools with magic lanterns, and publishing a specialized photography magazine. Unfortunately, this man’s life ended tragically. On November 14, 1910, he took his own life and was buried in Kharkiv at the St. John the Beheaded Cemetery. The “A. Werner” firm continued to operate after his death until 1917, under the ownership of O. V. Vishnyakova. In particular, the firm was commended for its consistently attentive support of the photography department of the Imperial Russian Technical Society in Kharkiv following its participation in organizing and providing the latest innovations in photographic technology for the 2nd Kharkiv Photography Exhibition.
Today, A. Werner’s photographs are a great rarity: the launch of the first electric tram in Kharkiv, a religious procession featuring the Ozeryanska Icon of the Mother of God, and the apiary of Archpriest T. I. Butkevich, a professor of theology, offer a glimpse into his talent as a photographer.
But let’s get back to *Fotograf* magazine.
On May 28, 1910, Anatoly Werner submitted a petition to Kharkiv Governor Mitrofan Kirillovich Katerinich requesting permission to publish a magazine.
The documents also stated that the publication would consist of two sections:
Section 1. Scientific and Technical.
a) Articles on all branches of photography, phototype, zincography, and so on.
b) Articles on scientific issues related to photography.
c) The latest discoveries and inventions.
d) Regulations and legislation concerning the photography industry.Section 2.
a) News from the photographic industry: cameras, photographic paper, and chemicals.
b) Descriptions of factories and plants that manufacture photographic supplies.
c) Advertisements.
d) Mailbox.
Permission was granted, and as early as May 31, Werner expressed his gratitude to the governor on this truly magnificent letterhead of his own design:
As early as July 1910, the first issue of *Fotograf*, which Werner had prepared with the help
of his colleague Konrad Bergman, was printed at the Dreishpul printing house in Kharkiv.
In it, the editorial staff addressed its audience with the following words:
To Our Readers.
As we publish the first issue of *Photographer* magazine, we thought it would be helpful to provide some background information explaining the vision and purpose that guided us as we embarked on this publication.
Photography, which is so widespread in southern Russia, is not represented at all in the local press. At a time when reading periodicals has become a vital necessity for every cultured person, and when every branch of industry, the arts, and even sports has its own specialized publications, the lack of a photography magazine is keenly felt by both professionals and photography enthusiasts. Hoping to at least partially fill this important gap in the literature on photography, we are launching the magazine *Fotograf*. The following will contribute to *Fotograf*: the Photography Section of the Kharkiv Branch of the Imperial Russian Technical Society, which will provide the first scientific and technical section of our magazine; the second section will feature the best original and translated articles by contemporary luminaries of photography, capable of illuminating the high level of progress the field has achieved. Having secured the generous support of distinguished Russian and foreign experts, and with a staff of many experienced photographers, we are able to provide our readers with a wealth of useful advice, techniques, and technical and chemical information. Both professionals and amateurs will find much that is interesting and instructive in the pages of our magazine—content that can benefit them and serve as a substitute for hands-on experience in photography. Its rich content, scientific value, and artistic design, combined with its extremely low price, give us reason to hope that readers will welcome our magazine and that it will gain widespread and rapid circulation not only in its region but also beyond its borders.
Then the second issue of *The Photographer* was published:
At the time, no one could have imagined that it would be the last issue. After all, following Werner’s death, the magazine ceased publication entirely and was never published again.
But, as usual, amid all this splendor of timely, relevant, useful, and very interesting articles, there was quite a bit of advertising. To be more precise, there was just way too much of it. All sorts of books on photography, photo paper, and photography and film equipment were eagerly beckoning buyers. Of course, all these treasures could be purchased—needless to say—at… Anatoly Werner’s store.
Time passes, and much changes. However, the marketing strategies of talented entrepreneurs remain as consistent as ever. To be continued…
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