Objekt des Monats
Jedes Objekt in der Sammlung des Deutschen Auswandererhauses erzählt eine ganz persönliche Auswanderungs- oder Einwanderungsgeschichte. In dieser Rubrik stellen wir Ihnen jeden Monat ein anderes Objekt vor – eine Fotografie, ein Dokument oder ein persönliches Erinnerungsstück.
August 2026
Photo, around 1900
| Size | 16.6 x 10.8 x 0.1 cm |
| Material | Paper |
| Donation | Astrid Lange |
We see a dog sitting on a stool. It wears a bow on its collar and is looking directly at the camera. The photo is mounted on cardboard, the back of which advertises a deity dressed in a tunic ‘Kempf’s Art Studios’ in Brooklyn.
Historical Context
Such cabinet cards or cabinet photographs were the most popular format for portrait photos in the USA and many countries worldwide between 1880 and 1900. A cabinet card is approximately 16 by 10 centimeters in size and gets its name from its placement in the typical cabinet displays in salons of the late 19th century. They are popular gifts among friends and relatives, often presented in homes or stored and viewed in specially made richly decorated photo albums. They are often sold in dozens and are affordable for a middle-class audience.
For the first time, they allow the subjects to playfully engage with the medium of photography. The lavishly equipped photo studios provide a wealth of props and painted backgrounds with which the subjects can present themselves exactly as they wish: during their hobby, their profession, on important occasions like baptisms or communions, in carnival costumes, or at Christmas in artificial snowy landscapes. More and more people also come to the studios with their animal friends. Because the era of cabinet cards coincides with the time when dogs are becoming increasingly popular as pets among the bourgeoisie.
Short Biography(ies)
This photo brings together the stories of three people and a dog.
First, the story of Johanne Kopf (born 1869 as Johanne Ohland), who emigrated to the USA as a teenager in 1882. She grew up just a few kilometers north of Bremerhaven in the village of Hülsing near Wremen. In 1888, she married Willi Mangels, who came from near Cuxhaven. With her two sons, though a third died at birth, they lived in Brooklyn. When her husband unexpectedly died, she returned to Germany around 1895 with her two sons. There, she married the net fisherman Kopf, with whom she had two daughters, one of whom also emigrated to the USA. In 1936, the 67-year-old traveled on the steamship Berlin to New York to visit her. In 1968, Johanne Kopf passed away shortly before her 100th birthday in Hülsing. She bequeathed the album to her descendants, which contains numerous photos of people, including a portrait of a dog. The donor, Astrid Lange, great-granddaughter of Johanne, found it in her mother’s attic.
The photographer Charles L. Kempf, who took the photo in his studio in Brooklyn around 1900, also has a migration story. At just four years old, he emigrated from Germany to the USA in 1853. He began a career as a photographer: In the 1870s, he established his own studio on the busy Myrtle Avenue in Brooklyn. The business flourished so well that he opened a branch. As an exclusive service, he advertised the short exposure time, which was certainly advantageous for capturing a sharp image of a dog.
Finally, we meet in the photograph the man who loves his dog so much that he commissions a photo of him. His name cannot be reconstructed today. However, he probably came from the family or friend circle of Johanne Kopf. After all, the portrayed dog has a story as well. Did he also migrate? Pets have not just been companions for embarking on a new life today.
Meaning of the object
Photos hold immense significance for people who migrate. In times when taking a portrait is still very costly, it may just be a single photo that emigrants carry as a memento in their luggage. Does Johanne Kopf already have photos of her loved ones that she is bringing to the USA in 1882? Does she, like many emigrants, send a portrait back across the Atlantic? Photos here also serve as representatives for those captured in the image: Those who are far away seem closer through their photography. Does Johanne Kopf still flip through her albums, long after she has returned to Germany, reminiscing about her time as a young woman in Brooklyn? And does she also remember her little dog during this time?
Do You Also Have …
… a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share with the German Emigration Center together with the related objects and documents for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau by phone at +49 471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or by e-mail at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de