News
SUMMARY
John Baer, an untrained amateur, acquired a Leica camera in 1945 from a captured German soldier and began photographing his comrades. After his death in 1994, his son discovered thousands of negatives. These images, taken in postwar Europe and New York City, showcase exceptional compositional instinct and timing, comparable to masters of street photography. A new book, 'John Baer: The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs, 1945-1954,' collects this previously unseen body of work.
TAKEAWAYS
John Baer obtained a Leica in 1945 and began taking photographs without formal training.
His son discovered over 4,000 negatives and prints decades after Baer's death.
The collection features striking street photography from postwar Europe and New York City.
A memoir in photographs, 1945-1954, has been published to showcase Baer's work.