[Five Gentlemen Conversing around Table]

Erich Salomon German

Not on view

The phrase "candid camera" was first coined in 1929 to describe Salomon's idiosyncratic technique of capturing the world's most powerful political and industrial leaders revealing themselves as ordinary human beings: talking, yawning, and joking. With his 35mm Ermanox camera concealed (sometimes in a hat or suitcase) and his unobtrusive appearance, Salomon was able to cut through the slick facade conveyed by official state portraits, both deflating and humanizing the politicians he photographed. This picture was taken in the Reichskanzlei in Berlin.

[Five Gentlemen Conversing around Table], Erich Salomon (German, Berlin 1886–1944 Auschwitz, Poland), Gelatin silver print

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.