Albert Zander facts for kids

Albert Zander was a German engineer, photographer, and business owner. He was born on January 1, 1864, in Chodzież, a town near Poznań. He passed away on August 12, 1897. Albert Zander played a very important role in starting what we now call "tabloid journalism" in Germany. This means he helped newspapers use more pictures to tell their stories.

Albert Zander: A Pioneer in Photojournalism

Albert Zander was a talented person who helped change how news was shared. He combined his skills as an engineer with a passion for photography. This led him to create a new way for newspapers to get their pictures.

From Engineer to Photographer

Albert Zander first worked as an engineer. He was employed at the Carl Flohr machine factory in Berlin. On May 26, 1895, something exciting happened. A fire broke out at the factory. Zander was there and took pictures of the event. Two of his photos were published in a well-known newspaper, the Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung. This was a very early example of using photos to report news.

Founding a Photo Agency

After his photos were published, Zander saw a new opportunity. On June 19, 1895, he teamed up with Siegmund Labisch. Labisch was also a photographer and a business person from the same area. Together, they started a photo studio in Berlin called Zander & Labisch-Illustrations-Photographen. This studio quickly grew into something special. It became the very first photo agency in Germany. Their goal was to take and share up-to-date photographs for newspapers. This was a new idea called photojournalism.

Impact of Zander & Labisch

The photo agency Zander & Labisch became very successful. It grew a lot in a short time. By 1897, the agency was a major source of news photos. About ten percent of all the press photos printed by the Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung came from Zander & Labisch. This shows how important their work was for newspapers at that time. They helped people see the news, not just read it.

Early Passing

Sadly, Albert Zander passed away at a young age. He died in Charlottenburg on August 12, 1897. He was only 33 years old. Even though he died young, his work had a lasting impact. He helped create the field of photojournalism. This changed how news is reported and shared with the world.