1890s Spy Camera Street Photography by 19 Year Old Carl Størmer
Carl Størmer (1872-1957) got his C.P. Stirn Concealed Vest Spy Camera in 1893 when he was studying mathematics at the Royal Frederick University (now, University of Oslo) Norway. "It was a round flat canister hidden under the vest with the lens sticking out through a buttonhole," he told St. Hallvard Journal in 1942. "Under my clothes I had a string down through a hole in my trouser pocket, and when I pulled the string the camera took a photo." These wonderfully candid images are a window into a time when most photographs were very formal and rigid. One of the first good examples of street photography. “I was a young 19 year-old student at the time and had gotten hold of a funny detective camera.” ~ Carl Størmer "It was a round flat canister hidden under the vest with the lens sticking out through a buttonhole. Under my clothes I had a string down through a hole in my trouser pocket, and when I pulled the string the camera took a photo. I strolle...