ESTELLE BLASCHKE

The role of photo agencies remains a blind spot in the history of photography. Emerging in the beginning of the 20th century to »sat isfy the picture-hunger of modern man« (Tschichold), they transformed photography into a commodity. As catalysts for the picture mar ket and through the creation of systematic collections, these companies shaped our western visual culture. The 1920s, 1930s and 1990 s, in particular, ushered a paradigm shift in the economy of the medium, marked by major technological developments and the rise of new marke...[Read more]