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Werner Wolff Archive

Werner Wolff (American, born in Germany, 1911−2002) left Nazi Germany in 1936 for New York, where he found work in the darkroom of the newly formed Pix photo agency. He later joined the American army, and regularly completed assignments for the wartime magazine Yank. With the defeat of Germany, Wolff was one of the first to photograph “The Eagle’s Nest” in Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s mountain retreat. Returning to New York, he joined the Black Star photo agency and remained one of its key contributors for decades. His many assignments are chronicled in the Werner Wolff Archive, which includes negatives, contact sheets, photographs, transparencies, publication information, correspondence, and other related ephemera.

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Portrait of a man in a military truck from World War Two.
Fig. 2

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Portraits of Werner Wolff during military service, World War II], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0951:0001–0037)
Fig. 1

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Carter–Reagan Debate [off television screen], 1980, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0876:039)
Fig. 3

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Portraits of Werner Wolff during military service, World War II], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0951:026)
Fig. 4

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Portraits of Werner Wolff during military service, World War II], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0951:035)
Portrait of waitress carrying plates of food.
Fig. 5

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [From the story “Girls, What do you think about the Americans leaving Rome?”], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0953:0001–0186)
Fig. 6

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [From the story “Girls, What do you think about the Americans leaving Rome?”], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0953:061)
Fig. 7

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [From the story “Girls, What do you think about the Americans leaving Rome?”], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0953:064)
Pictures of a dope addict taken after 1945.
Fig. 8

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Argosy Dope Addict [Portrait of William Schipp], after 1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0800:098)
Negatives from a series called 'Airplane Crash' from 1960.
Fig. 9

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Airplane Crash, Brooklyn, 1960, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0813:305)
Aerial view of U.S from coast to coast from 1948.
Fig. 10

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Picture Strip, U.S. from Coast to Coast, 1948, gelatin silver print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0832:048)
Negative strips of reactions to the Kennedy assassination from New York City in 1963.
Fig. 11

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Reaction to Kennedy Assassination, New York City, 1963, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0872:054)
Series of photos from the Carter-Reagan television debate in 1980.
Fig. 12

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Carter-Reagan Debate [off television screen], 1980, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0876:039)
Series of photos of youth in a Brooklyn community centre from 1946.
Fig. 13

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Youth in a Brooklyn community centre], 1946, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0973:045)
A name tag reading "Presna: Wener Wolff, Black Star, Number 77".
Fig. 14

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [Prensa Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:001)
A press name tag reading "Werner Wolff, Black Star, 1959".
Fig. 15

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [KP Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:003)
A greek press pass card for Werner Wolff.
Fig. 16

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [Greek Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:006)
A press pass card for Werner Wolff.
Fig. 17

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [Wolff Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:010)
Portrait of a man in a military truck from World War Two.
Fig. 2

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Portraits of Werner Wolff during military service, World War II], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0951:0001–0037)

Fig. 1

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Carter–Reagan Debate [off television screen], 1980, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0876:039)

Fig. 3

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Portraits of Werner Wolff during military service, World War II], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0951:026)

Fig. 4

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Portraits of Werner Wolff during military service, World War II], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0951:035)

Portrait of waitress carrying plates of food.
Fig. 5

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [From the story “Girls, What do you think about the Americans leaving Rome?”], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0953:0001–0186)

Fig. 6

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [From the story “Girls, What do you think about the Americans leaving Rome?”], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0953:061)

Fig. 7

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [From the story “Girls, What do you think about the Americans leaving Rome?”], 1939–1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.002.0953:064)

Pictures of a dope addict taken after 1945.
Fig. 8

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Argosy Dope Addict [Portrait of William Schipp], after 1945, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0800:098)

Negatives from a series called 'Airplane Crash' from 1960.
Fig. 9

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Airplane Crash, Brooklyn, 1960, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0813:305)

Aerial view of U.S from coast to coast from 1948.
Fig. 10

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Picture Strip, U.S. from Coast to Coast, 1948, gelatin silver print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0832:048)

Negative strips of reactions to the Kennedy assassination from New York City in 1963.
Fig. 11

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Reaction to Kennedy Assassination, New York City, 1963, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0872:054)

Series of photos from the Carter-Reagan television debate in 1980.
Fig. 12

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Carter-Reagan Debate [off television screen], 1980, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0876:039)

Series of photos of youth in a Brooklyn community centre from 1946.
Fig. 13

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), [Youth in a Brooklyn community centre], 1946, gelatin silver contact print. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.0973:045)

A name tag reading "Presna: Wener Wolff, Black Star, Number 77".
Fig. 14

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [Prensa Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:001)

A press name tag reading "Werner Wolff, Black Star, 1959".
Fig. 15

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [KP Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:003)

A greek press pass card for Werner Wolff.
Fig. 16

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [Greek Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:006)

A press pass card for Werner Wolff.
Fig. 17

Werner Wolff (American, born Germany, 1911–2002), Eisenhower Trip Souvenirs [Wolff Press Pass], 1960, ink on paper. Werner Wolff Archive, The Image Centre, Gift of the family of Werner Wolff, 2009 (AG02.2009.1014:010)