Trudi & Hermann Leisinger, ca.1933 in St Tropez, a self-portrait.
My grandfather Hermann Leisinger was a fascinating person. I hear he was very charming, stylish and oozed creativity, which found many outlets throughout his life.
Before his stroke, when he could still easily move, he loved to photograph and frequently traveled across Europe from 1932-64. There are amazing scenes of Paris, Italy, Greece, Spain and southern Germany between the war.
He had a passion for the all things antique and mystical. He published a book on the Etruscan cave paintings and another one on solid bronze doors ornate with intricate images of well known stories, like they used to have on churches.
Looking at his photographs it is clear that he had a strong sense of space, a touching tender side and a really beautiful sense of humour
I am currently archiving his photographic legacy and it is a beautiful thing to do. So here I am simply sharing some of the images I find along the way. I can see how his visual style has rolled through his son’s lives and into mine and it is a fascinating trace to follow a bit more to get a sense of this thing that family culture is.
My father Peter, my uncle Thomas Leisinger and I are working on a selection for a book of his photographs.
