Anders Petersen - Café Lehmitz - 1978

Made between 1968-70 by Swedish photographer Anders Petersen in Hamburg's Reeperbahn, the Café Lehmitz was a gatherhing place for people on the margins of society (alcoholics, pimps, petty criminals, prostitutes) and he spent two years documenting an authentic view, devoid of romantic cliches.

"When Petersen discovered the Lehmitz and began to photograph it at the end of the 1960s the cafe exuded a similar kind of world-weary decadence to that found in the Weimar Republic... And Petersen documented it, candidly, warmly and non-judgementally, wholly avoiding the sentimental but exploitative gaze of conventional social reportage."

Petersen "was a regular at the Lehmitz for two years or more while gathering these images. Although this does not make him a total 'insider' - the photographer always keeps some distance - it ensured that he was accepted as one of the crowd. He showed his sitters the work, even exhibiting it in the cafe, and regulars sometimes borrowed his camera and took pictures of each other. Under such circumstances, his photos become a diary of the riotous, drunken nights on which it was made."

"Petersen captured what more distinguished names have failed to convey - the authentic whiff of downbeat urban life." (Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, The Photobook, Vol.1 p.231)

This important book is included in:
Martin Parr & Gerry Badger - The Photobook Vol.1, pp. 230-231
Andrew Roth - The Open Book, p. 318
802 Photo Books of the M. + M. Auer Collection, p. 566
Manfred Heiting and Thomas Wiegand - Deutschland im Fotobuch, p. 148

Condition:
This is the true first edition from 1978 - not a later reprint. Binding tight. Small dent to top corner of first text pages (does not affect photo pages). Tiny marks to side of page block. Very small area of moisture damage to bottom margins of pages 60-88 (does not affect photo plates). Tiny printing blemishes to white page surrounding page 83. Edgewear to cover and dust jacket. Small tear to top rear of dust jacket. Please examine listing photos carefully.