Erich Salomon’s Famous Contemporaries in Unguarded Moments (German: Berühmte Zeitgenossen in unbewachten Augenblicken), published in 1931, represents a significant development in the evolution of candid photography and photojournalism. Salomon is celebrated for his ability to discreetly capture public figures in intimate, spontaneous moments, a style that earned him the nickname "King of the Candid Camera" by London’s The Graphic magazine. The project, comprising political and social elites photographed during informal situations, underscores Salomon’s intention to delve into the human side of power, aligning with the artistic and journalistic aspirations of the Weimar Republic era.
Created during a time of sociopolitical instability, with the Weimar Republic grappling with economic crises, rising extremism, and public disillusionment with democracy, Salomon’s work became a cultural artifact reflecting the anxieties of the time. The rise of mass media and the New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) movement emphasized direct, unsentimental depictions of modern life—a sensibility echoed in Salomon’s candid shots. His unposed, unvarnished portraits exposed the humanity of influential individuals while simultaneously revealing the performative aspects of public life. The project’s images encapsulated fleeting moments that seemed to distill larger truths about the fragile interplay between personal identity and public persona in an era of political turbulence.
Salomon’s aesthetic choices were integral to the project’s impact. Using the Ermanox camera with its fast f/1.8 lens, he worked in low-light environments, eschewing flash to maintain authenticity and intimacy. This allowed him to photograph diplomats, politicians, and celebrities in natural settings, often at conferences, dinners, or casual discussions. His black-and-white images heightened the dramatic interplay of light and shadow, while his compositions, frequently dynamic and slightly tilted, conveyed immediacy and movement. By focusing on unguarded expressions and gestures, Salomon challenged traditional notions of portraiture, offering a window into the vulnerabilities of power.
On publication in 1931, Famous Contemporaries in Unguarded Moments drew wide attention in the illustrated press. London’s The Graphic is often credited with coining the term "candid camera," while French Foreign Minister Aristide Briand famously called Salomon the "King of the Indiscreet". Early exhibitions in London (Royal Photographic Society, 1935; Ilford Galleries, 1937) and later retrospectives—including the Berlinische Galerie’s comprehensive survey (2004)—sustained its visibility. The DGPh’s Dr. Erich Salomon Prize, named in his honor, underscores his lasting influence, and the book is routinely cited in photobook histories as formative for modern photojournalism.
