Sophus Williams

Stereoscopic photography by Sophus Williams

Sophus Williams , actually Sophus Vilhelm Schou (born July 5, 1835 in Copenhagen , † October 18, 1900 in Grabow ), was a German photographer and publisher of Danish origin.

Sophus Vilhelm Schou was a son of Jørgen Christian Schou and Frederikke Christine Schwalbe. He went to London in 1859 and at an unknown time came to Berlin, where he masqueraded as an Englishman. He was married to Agnes Klitz (1843-1911).

E. Linde & Co.

In March 1868, Sophus Williams and the businessman Rudolph Gustav Leonhard Reinhold Knaak took over the trading company E. Linde & Co. of the art dealer Emanuel Linde at Leipziger Strasse 31/32.

Sophus Williams published many photographers, including a. also that of the photographer and publisher J. [ohann] F. [riedrich] Stiehm (1826–1902). Both were members of the Berlin Photographic Association . In 1873 the company participated in the world exhibition in Vienna.

The publishing house of Sophus Williams became known for its pictures of sights in different formats, stereoscopic pictures, Carte de Visite and cabinet format , and also Leporellos . He developed z. T. quite extensive series. Are known u. a .:

Bayreuth and the surrounding area
Berlin and the surrounding area
Wroclaw and the surrounding area
Cassel and surroundings
Hall and surroundings
Hamburg and the surrounding area
Hanover and the surrounding area
The Rhineland
The zoological garden in Berlin . Stereoscopic gallery № 1–34. Photographs by Hermann Rückwardt .
At the meeting of the Berlin district of the German Photographers Association on July 3, 1868, he presented pictures from the Holy Land.

For the provision of Linde & Co included photographs of paintings:

Fanny and her admirers (dog scene). Gem. [Ilder] v. [On] C. [arl] Arnold 1854, phot. von Stolze & Co, Cabinetf. [ormat].
[Battle of] Gravelotte on August 18, 1870. Faithful to duties etc. (The emperor and his retinue riding past a dying warrior on the battlefield.) Gem. C. [arl] Rechlin , photo by Stolze & Co. (Cab. [Inetformat])
General Graf Moltke and General von Kameke , Paris, March 3, 1871 (both on horseback recognized). According to G. [ustav] Mützel , photo by v. J. [ohann] F. [riedrich] Stiehm.
Prince Bismarck-Schönhausen and General Bismarck-Bohlen , Sedan, September 2, 1870 (both on horseback). According to G. Mützel u. photo by Stiehm.
General von Werder and General von Treskow on February 16, 1871 (bothon horseback infront of Belfort ). According to G. Mützel u. photgr. from Stiehm.
The generals von Manteuffel et al. von Goeben on November 25, 1870 (on horseback near Amiens , winter landscape). According to G. Mützel u. photgr. from Stiehm.
The generals von der Tann and von Hartmann , Orléans October 11, 1870 (galloping). According to G. Mützel and photo by Stiehm.

Sophus Williams died of a heart attack and was buried in the St. Matthew Cemetery in Berlin .

Web links

Commons : Sophus Williams - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: Photographic Correspondence - Sources and Full Texts

Recordings from Hamburg in the French National Library (BnF Gallica)

Remarks

↑ Entry in the commercial register of the Royal City Court of Berlin under № 3101 Trading company E. Linde & Co of the art dealer Emanuel Linde; Purchase and transfer of the rights to businessman Sophus Williams in London and Rudolph Gustav Leonhard Reinhold Knaak (businessman in Berlin) as shareholders; Establishment of an open trading company on March 5, 1868, as a partner businessman Sophus Williams in London and businessman Rudolph Gustav Leonhard Reinhold Knaak in Berlin, Reg. diagram 2267. (Source: Königlich Preußischer Staats-Anzeiger, № 61, Berlin March 11, 1868, P. 1072, online ).
↑ Entry of "Sophus Williams (Linde & Co), art dealer in Berlin" on June 15, 1868. (Source: Hermann Vogel (Ed.): Photographische Mitteilungen , 5th year, Louis Gerschel, Berlin 1869, p. 84 ). The exact name of the association was the Berlin district association of the German Photographers Association . S. Williams did not step forward. In May 1869 a new association of photographers was founded under the name Association for the Promotion of Photography . A large part of the members joined the new association. The name E. Linde is found in the membership list of the Association for the Promotion of Photography , but not that of Sophus Williams.
↑ The company “E. Linde ”, which according to the entry had over 20 employees ( official catalog of the exhibition of the German Empire in the Google book search).
↑ This impression does not have to correspond to reality, because it is possible that only the majority of the photographs of this genre have been preserved.
↑ News in the photographic art trade . In: Dr. E. Hornig (Ed.): Photographische Korrespondenz , 9th year, Verlag der photischen Korrespondenz, Vienna, 1872, p. 116.
↑ Hermann Vogel (Ed.): Photographische Mitteilungen , 5th vol., Louis Gerschel, Berlin 1869, p. 106. Sophus Williams presumably did not present his own photographs, but those of another photographer.
↑ News in the photographic art trade . In: Dr. E. Hornig (Ed.): Photographische Correspondenz , 8th year, Verlag der photischen Korrespondenz, Vienna, 1871, p. 176, others p. 46, p. 159, p. 194, p. 232
↑ News in the photographic art trade . In: Dr. E. Hornig (Ed.): Photographische Korrespondenz , 9th year, Verlag der photischen Korrespondenz, Vienna, 1872, p. 136.
↑ As an example of how quickly the trade in photographic products could react to political events such as the Franco-Prussian War with a collector's picture for the album or as a picture in a frame for the wall.

personal data
SURNAME	Williams, Sophus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Schou, Sophus Vilhelm (real name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German photographer and publisher of Danish origin
DATE OF BIRTH	July 5, 1835
PLACE OF BIRTH	Copenhagen
DATE OF DEATH	October 18, 1900
Place of death	Grabow

[1] Entry in the commercial register of the Royal City Court of Berlin under № 3101 Trading company E. Linde & Co of the art dealer Emanuel Linde; Purchase and transfer of the rights to businessman Sophus Williams in London and Rudolph Gustav Leonhard Reinhold Knaak (businessman in Berlin) as shareholders; Establishment of an open trading company on March 5, 1868, as a partner businessman Sophus Williams in London and businessman Rudolph Gustav Leonhard Reinhold Knaak in Berlin, Reg. diagram 2267. (Source: Königlich Preußischer Staats-Anzeiger, № 61, Berlin March 11, 1868, P. 1072, online ).

[2] Entry of "Sophus Williams (Linde & Co), art dealer in Berlin" on June 15, 1868. (Source: Hermann Vogel (Ed.): Photographische Mitteilungen , 5th year, Louis Gerschel, Berlin 1869, p. 84 ). The exact name of the association was the Berlin district association of the German Photographers Association . S. Williams did not step forward. In May 1869 a new association of photographers was founded under the name Association for the Promotion of Photography . A large part of the members joined the new association. The name E. Linde is found in the membership list of the Association for the Promotion of Photography , but not that of Sophus Williams.

[3] The company “E. Linde ”, which according to the entry had over 20 employees ( official catalog of the exhibition of the German Empire in the Google book search).

[4] This impression does not have to correspond to reality, because it is possible that only the majority of the photographs of this genre have been preserved.

[5] News in the photographic art trade . In: Dr. E. Hornig (Ed.): Photographische Korrespondenz , 9th year, Verlag der photischen Korrespondenz, Vienna, 1872, p. 116.

[6] Hermann Vogel (Ed.): Photographische Mitteilungen , 5th vol., Louis Gerschel, Berlin 1869, p. 106. Sophus Williams presumably did not present his own photographs, but those of another photographer.

[7] News in the photographic art trade . In: Dr. E. Hornig (Ed.): Photographische Correspondenz , 8th year, Verlag der photischen Korrespondenz, Vienna, 1871, p. 176, others p. 46, p. 159, p. 194, p. 232

[8] News in the photographic art trade . In: Dr. E. Hornig (Ed.): Photographische Korrespondenz , 9th year, Verlag der photischen Korrespondenz, Vienna, 1872, p. 136.

[9] As an example of how quickly the trade in photographic products could react to political events such as the Franco-Prussian War with a collector's picture for the album or as a picture in a frame for the wall.