Born 1926 in Heinebach, German photographer Franz Christian Gundlach attended the Private Lehranstalt für Moderne Lichtbildkunst (Private School for Modern Photography) under Rolf W. Nehrdich in Kassel from 1946 to 1949. Subsequently, he began publishing theatre and film reports in magazines such as Deutsche Illustrierte, Stern, Quick and Revue as a freelance photographer.
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| Impressive fashion photography by F. C. Gundlach |
Gundlach's specialization in fashion photography began in 1953 with his work for the Hamburg-based magazine Film und Frau, for which he photographed German fashion, Parisian haute couture and fur fashion campaigns. Additionally he photographed portraits of artists such as Romy Schneider, Hildegard Knef, Dieter Borsche and Jean-Luc Godard.
For Film und Frau, but also for Stern, Annabelle, Twen and other magazines, Gundlach has since made fashion and reportage trips to the Near, Middle and Far East as well as to Central and South America. Under an exclusive contract with the magazine Brigitte, he photographed many of the trendsetting fashion pages until 1983, a total of more than 160 covers and 5,000 pages of editorial fashion.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Gundlach worked in South America, Africa, but above all in New York and on the American west coast.
In 2000, he created the F.C. Gundlach Foundation, and since 2003, he has been founding director of the House of Photography – Deichtorhallen in Hamburg.
These impressive fashion photographs are part of his work from the 1950s to 1970s.
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| Grit Hübscher in white satin and black velvet wrap by Sinaida Rudow, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Berlin, 1954 |
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| Grit Hübscher in blue lace cocktail dress, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Berlin, 1956 |
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| Fashion photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Film und Frau', Berlin, 1959 |
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| Fashion photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1959 |
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| Gloria Friedrich, double exposure by F.C. Gundlach, 1960 |
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| Maggi Eckardt in short broadtail lamb jacket with matching hood, photo by F.C. Gundlach, 1960 |
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| Lissy Schaper in beach ensemble by Schulze-Varell, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1961 |
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| Gitta Schilling in an ensemble by Schulze-Varell, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1962 |
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| Gloria Friedrich in short broadtail lamb jacket by SWA, photo by F.C.Gundlach, Byblos, Lebanon, 1962 |
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| Maggi Eckardt, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Film und Frau', Berlin, 1963 |
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| Wilhelmina in fur hat by Berger, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1963 |
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| Gitta Schilling wearing a chiffon cocktaildress by Schulze-Varell, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1964 |
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| Wilhelmina wearing a dark mink coat by Berger, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1964 |
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| Astrid Heeren, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte' magazine, Hamburg, 1965 |
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| Simone in diamond patterned suit with fur collar and cuffs, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte' magazine, Hamburg, 1965 |
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| Fashion shoot for 'Brigitte' by F.C. Gundlach in Mombasa, Kenya, 1966 |
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| Inger, ensemble by V de V, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1966 |
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| Wilhelmina in this carnival feature in 'Brigitte', photo by F.C.Gundlach, Hamburg, 1966 |
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| Astrid Schiller, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Annabelle', Paris, 1967 |
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| Birgit Larsen in tricot dress by Missoni, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte', Hamburg, 1967 |
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| Grace Coddington in black jersey minidress by Daniel Hechter, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte', Hamburg, 1967 |
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| Grace Coddington in knit sweater and miniskirt by Chiwitt, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte', Hamburg, 1967 |
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| Grace Coddington in mini-skirt and blouse by Missoni, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte', Hamburg, 1967 |
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| Nicole de la Marge, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Paris, 1967 |
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| Wilhelmina, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Paris, 1967 |
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| Cathee Dahmen, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte', Tenerife, 1968 |
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| Cathee Dahmen, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte', Tenerife, 1968 |
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| Cathee Dahmen, photo by F.C. Gundlach for 'Brigitte', Tenerife, 1968 |
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| Ingrid in chinchilla jacket by Dieter Zoern and hosiery by Christian Dior, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1969 |
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| Ingrid with fur jacket by Dieter Zoern and hosiery by Christian Dior, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1969 |
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| Dress by Pierre Cardin, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Paris, 1970 |
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| Viviane Fauny photographed by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1970 |
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| Fashion photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1972 |
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| Beshka in fashion photo by F.C. Gundlach, Hamburg, 1973 |
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| Pantsuit by Benger-Ribana, photo by F.C. Gundlach, Algarve, 1974 |
(Photos by F. C. Gundlach)
