In 1930s Austria, photographs of pious peasants, modern skiers, and idyllic alpine landscapes dominated visual culture. Seen in illustrated magazines, photobooks and exhibitions these photographs depicted the Heimat or homeland, and together they propagated an image for the newly delineated country of Austria. The ruling authoritarian government took advantage of Heimat photographs as it framed their contexts, reinforcing traditional customs, Catholic values and Austria as a modern tourist destination. Photographers across Austria participated in making the aesthetically attractive and popular Heimat images. Many of these photographers continued their work after 1938 as they helped propagate an identity for greater Germany and then again, in the post-war era as they sought to define a democratic nation. Speaker Elizabeth Cronin is the Assistant Curator of Photography at the New York Public Library, where she recently co-curated "Public Eye: 175 Years of Sharing Photography." Cronin received her PhD in Art History from the Graduate Center, City University of New York and has taught numerous courses in art history and history of photography. She also has an MA in German Studies, Culture and Communication from the Technical University of Dresden. She has published several articles on Heimat photography.
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