Victor Hasselblad
Victor Hasselblad (born March 8, 1906 in Gothenburg , Sweden , † August 5, 1978 there ) was a Swedish photographer and inventor . He became famous for the Hasselblad 6 × 6 cm SLR camera .
Life
Victor Hasselblad was born in the fourth generation of the family business as one of four children of the Consul General Karl-Erik Hasselblad and Maria Hasselblad, née Carlander. At the age of 18 he left the Swedish school to study in Dresden.
Hasselblad worked for various camera and film manufacturers and traveled to Europe and the USA. Here he gained knowledge about photography and the manufacture of cameras and lenses. His predilection for taking pictures of animals and nature would later turn into his advantage.
During his stays abroad he befriended George Eastman , a business partner in the family business and founder of Kodak .
In 1934 he married Erna Nathorst and a year later he published the book “Flyttfågelstråk” (Bird Migration), which contained pictures of birds in flight - a rarity for the time. After returning to the family business, as a result of disagreements in the family, he opened a photo shop with its own laboratory in Gothenburg called "Victor Foto".
In 1940 Hasselblad was asked by the Swedish Air Force to develop a camera for aerial photography. This camera was supposed to surpass the quality of comparable German models that were known about through emergency landed reconnaissance planes. He then founded Ross Incorporated in 1941 , a forerunner of Victor Hasselblad AB , which produced these cameras.
After his father's death in 1942, he acquired the majority in his ancestors' family business ( FW Hasselblad ). After the end of World War II, the Hasselblad 1600 F was presented to the public in New York City in 1948 . It was available for the civil market and became the standard camera for many professional photographers.
In 1967 he was awarded the Vasa Order of First Class. The Chalmers Technical University awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1968.
Hasselblad's marriage was childless; he bequeathed a large part of his fortune to the Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation , which was established after his death. The foundation annually awards the Hasselblad Award , the world's most important award in photography.
literature
Victor Hasselblad: Flyttfågelstråk . Bonnier, Stockholm 1935, p. 193 . , OCLC 250743461
Web links
- Hasselblad story on hasselblad.de
- Sweden's camera inventor WDR report on the 30th anniversary of Victor Hasselblad's death in 2008
- The Hasselblad Foundation (English)
- Hasselblad Center in the Gothenburg Art Museum
supporting documents
- ↑ Hedersdoktorer: Victor Hasselblad , accessed on May 28, 2012
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hasselblad, Victor |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swedish photographer and inventor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 8, 1906 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Gothenburg , Sweden |
| DATE OF DEATH | 5th August 1978 |
| Place of death | Gothenburg , Sweden |