Divadelní fotografie a jejich autoři ve sbírce Národního muzea: Josef Heinrich a Čestmír Jírů – neznámí či zapomenutí?

Abstract

Theater photographs as a visual source of theater history have been consistently collected in the National Museum since 1924. Historical images created by studios after 1859 give only limited evidence of the appearance of characters in theater plays. The article describes the specifics of recording and technical limitations in studios until the end of the long 19th century. The first professional photographer working for one theater – Josef Heinrich. Between 1936 and 1950, he filmed 405 productions of all National Theater ensembles. Originally a reportage photographer of the Czechoslovak press office, Čestmír Jírů stood on the sidelines of the researchers’ interest. After documenting political events and working for a postcard manufacturer, he took a unique set of lifestyle photos of actors of all generations – at home, at hobby work, with family members.