Photo: Deutsches Museum
Image Archive
The Deutsches Museum Archive holds an extensive collection of approximately 1.4 million photographs. Among these are some of the earliest German photographs, taken by Carl August von Steinheil during the pioneering days of photography in 1839. Today, the Archive continues to actively acquire significant photographic holdings relating to the history of science and technology.
Photo: Deutsches Museum
Contents of the Collection
Most of the originals exist as photographic prints. Alongside these are glass plate negatives, film negatives in various formats, and stereoscopic images.
The photographic archive is divided into closed holdings—such as photographers’ personal papers, photo albums, and thematic collections—as well as a series of individual photographs. Numerous further images are preserved within other archival record groups, including personal papers, corporate and institutional archives, aerospace documentation, and the portrait collection.
Photo: Deutsches Museum
Key Thematic Areas
- Photographs relating to the architectural history, exhibits, exhibitions and events at the Deutsches Museum
- Transport (aviation, motor vehicles, railways)
- Industrial photography
- Mechanical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Scientific photography
Photo: Deutsches Museum
Visual History
Photographs constitute a vital complement to printed and textual sources. In recent decades, research in visual history has established itself as an independent discipline, building upon the foundations of historical image research.