179 - Nini and Carry Hess

Nini and Carry Hess 1884 Frankfurt am Main – 1943 Auschwitz 1889 Frankfurt am Main – 1957 Chur (Switzerland) – Erna Pinner – Vintage silver gelatin print on paper. 23.6 x 17.8 cm, 41.5 x 31.5 cm (dimensions with frame). Inscribed in pencil on the reverse: Erna Pinner. Mat. Framed under glass. Exposure margin. Corners slightly worn, with isolated fraying. Slight scratches. Minimal missing areas. - An expert opinion by Eckhardt Köhn dated 2026 is available. - Provenance: The works come from the estate of Lino Masala-Lobina, Wiesbaden. The sisters Nini and Carry Hess were among the most significant photographic artists of the Weimar Republic. In their Frankfurt studio, which they founded in 1913, they photographed numerous prominent figures such as Thomas Mann, Max Beckmann, and Alfred Döblin. They also gained widespread attention for their dance and theater photographs. In 1912, Carry Hess received the Prize for Professional Photography in the “Art Photography” category at the General German Photo Exhibition in Heidelberg. Due to their Jewish heritage, the two photographers were persecuted during the Nazi era. In 1933, Carry fled to France; Nini was deported with her mother and died in Auschwitz in 1943. Their photo archive in the studio fell victim to Kristallnacht in 1938 and was completely destroyed.