Vikipeedia:GLAM/Where Even Sunrays Will Not Reach/1
| About | Hans Soosaar's photo series |
Where Even Sunrays Will Not Reach[muuda lähteteksti]
"Even sunrays don’t reach this place“. This is how the photographer and photo journalist Hans Soosaar (1903–1961) described Jüri's home who lived on Köie Street. As one of the first professional photo journalists in Estonia, Soosaar has been fortunate and unfortunate enough to capture life under various power regimes. His photos can be seen on the columns of Rahvaleht (The People's Magazine), Noorte Hääl (the Young People's Voice), the Revaler Zeitung, Rahva Hääl (the People's Voice) and others. His photo lens has seen the colorful balls of the Estonia Theater, people executed at the Klooga Concentration Camp, but also the simple life in the residential areas during the first Republic of Estonia. At the end of the 1920s, Soosaar walked on the streets of Kalamaja and Põhja-Tallinn, and recorded the meeger living conditions of Tallinners. It is not known why this photographer, who was just at the beginning of his career, decided to photograph the homes of those with low-income and the unemployed. [1] . Although the press at the time chose to remain silent on issues that would cast a shadow on the image of the young republic, Soosaar fortunately did not follow this tactics of disregard.[2]
On the streets of Kalamaja people had the opportunity to see 10 photos of Soosaar's apartment depictive photo series dating back to the 1920s. The photos came with detailed descriptions of the life of the inhabitants, the texts originating from the back of the photos. The pictures were placed in front of the same houses that Soosaar captured over 90 years ago. If the house has been demolished, the photo display was found as near as possible. Soosaar’s photos brought the inhabitants captured on the photos from their damp, dark apartments onto the streets filled with autumn light Soosaar’s photos, placed on the streets of their homes, brought people living in dreadful and humble conditions out of the shadows into the autumn light. Please take a moment from your day and have a look.
About the Exhibition[muuda lähteteksti]
Curator Laura Jamsja
Consultants Kristi Paatsi, Aap Tepper, Tuuli Silber
Artist Lilian Juhkam
Photo sources: Estonian History Museum, Tallinn City Archives, Photo Museum
The exhibition was open from 4th of October up to 3rd of November 2019.
The exhibition was part of the Tallinn Photo Month '19 satellite program.
Special thanks goes to: representatives of the Kalamaja Apartments Association, Sille Kima, Joel Leis, Indrek Hinrikus, Andres Lall, Sirje Pallo, Kadri Toomsalu, Tanel Verk, Anneli Jalava, Jaak Juske.