Köln 1970 - 1995 : 25 Jahre Stadtarchitektur / Fotografien von Chargesheimer und Wolfgang Vollmer.; Cologne 1970 / 1995. 25 years city architecture. Photographs by Chargesheimer and Wolfgang Vollmer. Edited by Reinhold Misselbeck and Wolfgang Vollmer. With contributions by L. Fritz Gruber, Reinhold Misselbeck and Werner Strodthoff. [Interview Carl Bruno]

Köln, Germany: J.P. Bachem, 1996. Aufl edition (1996). Hardcover. Very Good+/None Issued. 96 pp. Chiefly illustrations. 29 cm. Tall 4to. Hardcover. Photo illustrated boards. In 1970 the prolific German photographer Chargesheimer published the book "Köln 5uhr30". "Chargesheimer's Köln 5 Uhr 30 marks a crucial turning point in the history of European photobooks. Fascinated by the look of early morning, deserted streets, Chargesheimer here portrays his native Cologne in folio photogravure plates that convey a "vaguely sinister atmosphere... Chargesheimer created a rigorous formal framework for this book, determined by the steep perspective generated by the wide- angle lens and the fact that every image is vertical" (Parr & Badger I:223) Twenty five years later Wolfgang Vollmer retraced the now deceased Chargesheimer's steps and produced this book; Köln 1970-1995, 37 pairs of full page b&w plates . Chargeshiemer's 1970 photograph verso, Vollmer's 1995 photograph recto (same lensing, camera position, cropping etc.). Chargesheimer's 1970 book (it was his last before he took his life) was a conceptual book on it's own, Volmer's subsequent comment on it raised the conceptual stakes by an order of magnitude and perhaps in a way only decipherable by the German mind. Book is in German. Book Condition: Very Good at least. V. slight soiling to boards, corners gently pushed, shelf wear to panels (v. minimal). Lacking a Dust Jacket (We believe as issued). Not so common...scarce even, esp. as hardcover. When we do see copies offered by the trade they are almost always the softcover edition.