Presented by the Kunstbibliothek (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin) and the Willy Maywald Association

Willy Maywald (1907-1985) was one of the most important photographers working in Paris in the period 1930 to 1960. His training at the schools of applied art in Krefeld, Cologne, and Berlin shaped his avant-garde style. In 1932 he moved to the city on the Seine, where he befriended many of the protagonists of modern art.

His broad spectrum of interest, spanning both commissioned assignments and art photography, gave rise to a spectacular collection of portrait photographs, fashion photos for all major Parisian couture houses, dance and architectural photography, as well as travel features and photoreports on cities. A large number of these photos have never gone on show before. The exhibition presents for the first time the complete work of Willy Maywald in all its many facets. This year, an important protagonist of 20th-century photography is about to be rediscovered and seen with fresh eyes.