Photographs from the Prince Ernst August of Hannover Collection.
Royal collections have always been a powerful means of self-promotion. For centuries painting was largely sustained by royal patronage and facilitated the permanent and glamorous representation of eminence. Then along came photography, which immediately assumed the same function, and portraits of nobility lost their exclusivity once everyone could afford photographs. Nonetheless the royal court around the Welfen dynasty in Hanover let itself be photographed repeatedly. The royals contracted photographers, gave away pictures and in return received photographs which they placed in albums and portfolios until they had an extensive collection.
This collection, still in the possession of Prince Ernst August of Hanover, survived the collapse of the royal families and is contained in this book. Photographs served nobility not least of all by safeguarding their dominance. Family relations were politically significant European networks and photography consolidated those relationships. This collection of photographs is an informative historical source and a spirited reflection of a lost epoch.
