Circus Photography

This page is dedicated to the work of Heinz Neumärker. He was one of the very few who set himself the task of documenting the circus in the second half of the 20th century as comprehensively as possible. This project spanned 50 years, beginning in the 1950s and ending in the early 2000s. The archive includes program booklets, posters and prints, newspaper articles, periodicals and correspondence and much more, but the photographic work is outstanding. Hardly anyone else has followed a photo project for so long, let alone on the subject of circus.

“Preserved for posterity” were the words used time and again in response to the question ‘Why?’. With this in mind, the photo archive is now being processed and new publications are constantly being produced. The focus is on both the cultural and photographic aspects of the work. The circus is multi-layered, as a business enterprise, as a way of life and as a form of entertainment. The photographic approach is multifaceted in order to make this microcosm visually tangible.