Autochrome by Vladimír Jindřich Bufka

The pioneers of Czech Autochrome were not only the professional photographers, but artists, scientists and amateur photographers as well. Vladimír Jindřich Bufka (1887 – 1916), one of the most important Czech photographers of pictorialism, put his mind to the theoretical and artistic aspect of Autochromes, and studied the technique of Autochrome directly in Lyon. In October 1909, in Prague, he organised an illustrated lecture about Autochrome, which was probably the first time Autochromes had been demonstrated here. One year later, in 1910, he published his findings in a publication, “Photography in Color with the Autochrome Plate”. Unfortunately, only one of his Autochromes has survived to this day.

Portrait of photographer's mother

Vladimír Jindřich Bufka (1887–1916)

Autochrome 19×16 cm, ca 1915

Owner of the original autochrome: The Moravian Gallery in Brno All rights reserved, use of the digital reproduction is possible only with written permission from the owner of photograph