A photography exhibition featuring the work of three local newspaper photographers has shattered attendance records at the Hammer Artists' Association (hkb) studio in Hamm, Germany. The exhibition, titled "City Time Stories," showcases 120 press photographs spanning 30 years of Hamm's history, drawing hundreds of visitors to its opening on Saturday, August 16.
Ina Jenzelweski, the new chairwoman of the Hammer Artists' Association, expressed her amazement at the unprecedented turnout. "I have experienced many exhibition openings at our hkb studio, but we have never had so many visitors," she said during her welcoming remarks, appearing overwhelmed by the crowd that gathered at the studio near Maxipark.
The exhibition features the work of three photographers from the Westfälischer Anzeiger newspaper: Andreas Rother, Reiner Mroß, and Robert Szkudlarek. Christian Gerstenberger, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, spoke at the opening with characteristic humor. "When photographers start making art, it always scares me," he joked. "When they start holding the camera at an angle for a shot, I get calls from readers the next day asking if our photographers can't even hold a camera straight. Andreas Rother once had a diagonal phase, I was told."
According to Gerstenberger, Robert Szkudlarek, described as the most artistic of the three photographers and a veteran of several previous exhibitions in Hamm, inspired his colleagues with the idea of a joint exhibition. The result, visitors unanimously agreed, was absolutely worth seeing. The show's appeal stemmed from its nature as a collection of 120 press photographs from the past 30 years rather than a traditional art exhibition.
The photographs sparked numerous conversations among visitors, who found themselves reminiscing about local history. "Do you remember?" were reportedly the most frequently spoken words of the afternoon as attendees shared memories triggered by the images. The most discussed photograph featured a woman in a red bikini standing in an excavator bucket alongside then-Mayor Thomas Hunsteger-Petermann.
Hunsteger-Petermann, who was present at the opening, was quick to clarify his role in the controversial image. "That wasn't my idea," he stated, emphasizing that he would not approve such a photograph today. Dr. Alexander Tillmann, who served as head of corporate communications for the municipal utilities at the time, recalled the circumstances surrounding the photo. It was taken during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Maximare aquatic center, and Dieter Vatheuer, one of the facility's managing directors, wanted a spectacular effect for the press photo and "conjured up the lady out of a hat," according to Tillmann. "She arrived in a bathrobe, but when she let it drop, everyone's facial expressions went awry."
Other photographs in the exhibition evoked similar stories and memories from local officials and residents. Tillmann, who later became managing director of the Central Halls, explained a photograph from the Bull Hall showing many cattle, noting that the Central Halls had been built as a central breeding livestock auction hall. Previously, cattle had been auctioned on the parade ground.
Ulrike Wäsche, who served as Hamm's mayor from 2004 to 2010, appears in one photograph lying down and aiming with a rifle. "I always had to fire the honorary shot at shooting festivals, and I enjoyed doing it," Wäsche explained. Apparently, she was quite accurate, often hitting insignia and giving them away to lucky children as souvenirs.
Werner Reumke, longtime chairman of the Martin Luther District Support Association, is shown in another photograph surrounded by cinema organs. The association had received 23 organs as a gift from a cinema organ collector and established their own organ museum. "That was always the highlight during tours of the district," Reumke recalled.
The exhibition includes prominent political figures such as Angela Merkel and Joschka Fischer, sports stars like Erik Zabel and Horst Hrubesch in action in Hamm, as well as the priest of the Hindu temple and Hamm's boxing and water polo teams. These images represent just a fraction of the 120 photographs that document Hamm's urban history and evoked countless memories among both the subjects photographed and other viewers.
Robert Szkudlarek had previously organized several exhibitions in Hamm, including the show "tRaum der WeisSheit" (Dream of Wisdom) featuring paper art in collaboration with Grzyna Maniecka and Rüdiger Brand at the City Hall Gallery. The current exhibition is open to the public free of charge on Saturdays from 2 to 5 PM and Sundays from 11 AM to 5 PM. The closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, September 14, beginning at 3 PM.
