Not Sweating the Small Stuff

Candid Camera - Oslo, 1893-6

This morning and by chance, I came across a series of arresting photographs taken candidly in the streets in Oslo in Norway between 1893 and 1896 by mathematician, physicist and amateur street photographer Carl Størmer (1874 –1957).


What's so interesting for me about many of these images is of course that the subjects are caught somewhat unaware and so are mostly unguarded in their behaviour.

The photographer and his apparatus were obviously camouflaged in some way, with the lens at times producing images cut off in some way, reflecting this ...



The shoot is clandestine and though some subjects seem unaware of being recorded ...

Henrik Ibsen

... most sense something is up, reacting either with a smile ...

... or puzzlement or apprehension ...









... with fewer still registering a bravura gesture ...


These photographs are not of extraordinarily aesthetic value but give a wonderful immediacy and a specificness to a place not well travelled to and to an era long past.

Looking over the images again, I've just realized that in today's climate of political correctness poor old Mr Størmer would probably be classified as a stalker of pretty young women ... but I'm going to continue to enjoy his work ... at least for the moment!