The Filson Historical Society Digital Projects

A Look at Art Photography

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In this self-portrait, Paul Gunter is seen painting at his easel in nature late in his life, around 1920. 

Paul Gunter was a man who “never worked a day in his life.” He was a professional portrait photographer, but he loved his work so much that he even spent his leisure time behind the camera. He created beautiful art photos, which were special enough to him to be developed and bound in books alongside his family albums. Though Gunter is an exceptional case, he was not alone in his pursuit of photography as a hobby at the time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there was a significant rise in the popularity and relevance of photography, both as a legitimate art form and as a hobby. Gunter’s unique position gives us a window into both worlds, showing the influential styles of the time and the experimentation of photography hobbyists. His exceptional photography reveals a creative and curious man who understood new artistic trends yet was never afraid to push the boundaries.