The Work of Lehnert & Landrock:
1905-1925.

Lehnert & Landrock met in Switzerland in 1904. They were both 26 at the time, the former Austrian, the latter German. Both had been dreaming of visiting and working in the "Orient". German travel writers, explorers, archaeologists and anthropologists had done major studies of the Near East, especially in the 19th century, and this may have influenced their decision to settle in Tunis the year of their meeting. After World War I, upon their return to the Mahgreb, they were again in Tunis, and later in Cairo. Indeed, the firm still exists in Cairo today under the same name. A relative of Landrock donated all the known plates to the Musée de l’Élysée in Lausanne.
       There have been numerous articles and monographs about their work (see Bibliography below) and increasingly L & L are becoming recognized as one of the best studios working in this area during this period. The photographs were, in fact, taken by Lehnert, while Landrock supplied the business acumen. Lehnert also worked for a brief period (1922-24) in Algiers for Jouvet, although Jouvet’s studio mark does not credit him. Lehnert made a body of independent work, mostly of male and female nudes. They are quite rare, though some have appeared at auctions, most recently in a lot of male erotica including von Gloeden et al. in a Christie’s London sale.
       There are several distinguishing features to a Lehnert photograph. Desert scenes are simple, but formally composed, reflecting his early training as a painter and art student. Lone figures, or a group of lone figures are usually dwarfed by sand dunes, forming one of his favorite motifs, the power and influence of the desert and nature over man. There is a large body of female nude work, and of eroticized male adolescent images. Tunisian Boy is especially representative of this genre. Such work was exceptional for the other photographers working in North Africa, but for L & L we might call it common.
       The output of the firm was enormous. It included vintage photographs, heliogravures, original photographic postcards, heliogravure postcards, and contributions to innumerable books. See Bibliography below for a list of reference works.

L & L Prices:

The prices for L & L work is almost unique for its excessive range, and there is currently a great deal of confusion due to a number of factors, as outlined below:

• Groups of vintage sepia toned albumen prints, platinum prints and silenium toned silver prints have been offered by the major auction houses, with an individual vintage print selling for as much US$1200-1800/Euros 1200-1800 and groups running in the many thousands.
• Main stream galleries have also offered the vintage prints, with prices ranging from $600-2200.
• Sepia toned heliogravures are offered by dealers at between $75.00 and $375.00 depending on size, condition and image.
• Parisian retail prices for gravures are about $300 for the male and female image gravures in the size range of 9 X 12 inches but $600 for the larger gravures (12 X 18 or variants). Parisian prices for desert scenes range $100-300.
• In the early 1920s, L & L’s Leipzig office produced a small number of rich toned sepia and colored gravures. The quality of these is outstanding and they are quite rare. The current retail for these color gravures runs $350-650.
• There are regular postings of L & L sepia toned gravures on eBay. We have seen prices realized average between $50 and $175 per image. Even the German color gravures have not realized more than about $150.
• Our collectors (mostly in Europe) also report finding the 9 X 12 gravures regularly at flea markets, trade marts, and shows. They have paid as low as $4 for a single gravure, but have also seen them at collector’s fairs for as much as $350.00.

• We have been advising our collectors to buy only gravures that are in very good condition, and to make judgments about the quality and scarcity of the images.
• Almost weekly there are new L & Ls posted on eBay, but buyer beware. We recently encountered what were described as vintage L & L silver prints but they were, in our estimation, new prints, and the monograms shown did not conform to any known L & L monogram. A letter to the poster did not elicit any response.
• Therefore, arm yourself with knowledge. Obtain and consult the references below.

Note: The books listed here are not for sale but are For Reference Only.

• CARDINAL, Philippe. Lehnert & Landrock: L’Orient d’un photographe. Lausanne: Favre, 1987. Has one of the best texts.
• FAVROD, Charles & André ROUVINEZ. Lehnert & Landrock: Orient 1904-1930. Paris: Marval, 1999. Has the best selection of illustrations.
• GABOUS, Abdelkrim. la Tunisie des photographes 1975-1910. Paris: Éditions du Cygne, 1994. A general study of most of the workshops working in Tunisia in that period.
• PEREZ, Nissan N. Focus East: Early Photography in the Near East 1839-1885. New York: Abrams, 1988. Does not have any material on L & L but is the definitive text on early Near East work, with necessary background information, useful in making judgments for purchases.

• Favrod is still in print and can be ordered from Paris through www.fnac.com.
• The other titles may be searched for in www.powells.com and the various rare book sites. We especially recommend the French antiquarian site: www.chapitre.com.