Points of View

Founded in 1992, Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur in Cologne ranks among the world's finest archives of high-end objective, documentary photography created between 1860 and 2010. The collection holds several thousand glass negatives and vintage prints by August Sander along with large bodies of works by Karl Blossfeldt and Albert Renger-Patzsch. Another highlight is the Bernd & Hilla Becher archive supplemented by works of their prominent students.
Portraiture is another focal point.
Starting with Sander's People of the 20th Century, the collection holds portraits created by artists from Hugo Erfurt to Diane Arbus. Botanics and landscapes (as by Jim Dine), architecture and industry (Boris Becker, Petra Wittmar) are represented as well. Walker Evans, William Christenberry, and Stephen Shore cover pivotal American positions.