Wilhelm von Gloeden: 30 Postcards

About the Publication

This softcover postcard book, published by Taschen, in 1993, contains a collection of 30 individual, detachable sepia-toned postcards. The volume features the historic photography of Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden. It measures 4.5 by 6.25 inches. This layout provides a direct way to view his classical compositions in a compact format. Individual pages are lightly attached at spine and made for easy reoveability and sharing.

Item Condition

This is a fine copy. It shows only the lightest shelf wear on the back cover and top right corner to front, unused and contents complete. [pb10]

Overview of Content

The collection focuses on Von Gloeden’s staged photography from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The images consist of pastoral and homoerotic nude and semi-nude studies set against the natural backdrop of Taormina, Sicily. To create these scenes, the photographer arranged local models with classical props such as wreaths, amphoras, and tunics. His work drew heavy inspiration from Greek and Roman antiquity. The postcards highlight his technical attention to controlled outdoor lighting and stylized composition.

Product Details

• Title: Wilhelm von Gloeden: 30 Postcards
• Publisher: Taschen, 1993
• Format: Softcover / Postcard Book
• Page Count: 34 pages (including 30 detachable cards)
• ISBN-10: 3822894397
• ISBN-13: 978-3822894392

Author Biography

Baron Wilhelm von Gloeden (September 16, 1856 – February 16, 1931) was a German photographer who spent most of his working life in Italy. Born into a prominent family in Mecklenburg, Germany, he initially studied art history and painting. In 1878, he relocated to the seaside town of Taormina, Sicily, to seek treatment for a chronic lung condition. While living there, he learned photography techniques from his cousin, commercial photographer Wilhelm von Plüschow.

Von Gloeden established a professional studio in Taormina. He gained international recognition for his landscape photography and his meticulously staged figurative studies of local Sicilian youth. He utilized early technical innovations, including custom photographic filters and special body makeup formulas, to achieve smooth skin textures under bright Mediterranean sunlight. His work was widely collected by prominent international travelers of the era. Following his death in 1931, a significant portion of his original glass plate negatives was confiscated and destroyed during the Fascist regime. Today, his surviving prints are recognized for their historical significance within early history of photography.

$ 110.00