Johannes Pääsuke

John Pääsuke (born 30 March 1892 in Tartu, † January 8, 1918 in Orsha, Belarus today ) was an Estonian photographer and filmmaker.

Life and work

John Pääsuke was the fourth of six children to a wealthy family in Tartu. His siblings enjoyed a good education; of it is only known that he learned the art of photography. According to his own account, he began in 1907, fifteen- year to photograph.

After he had already made in many places in Estonia and Livonia pictures, he probably took on 1912 Contact the Estonian National Museum ( ERM). In 1913 he began a project in which he photographically documented the Estonian landscapes, people and their activities and crafts objects collected for the ERM.

The largest part of this project consisted of a trip to the Estonian coast and on the islands, which he undertook together with an assistant H. Volter between 10 June and 29 July 1913. They were mostly on foot, leading their luggage, cameras, tripod, plates and chemicals with them. From this trip 317 images are obtained, many of them from Saaremaa and Muhu. Pääsukes work was highly valued by the museum and displayed in an exhibition, which was opened on 2 August 1913.

The entire ethnographic project includes more than 1300 images on photographic plates of glass. This includes two major sets: one in 1908 in the south of the country and created a Tartu of 1914.

Pääsuke was also the first Estonian filmmakers. In 1912 he built his first film camera. Throughout his career, he produced about 40 short films, ten of which are still preserved today. These are five news items, four documentaries and the first Estonian feature film, the political satire " Bear Hunt in Pärnu Land" ( Karujaht Pärnumaal, 11 minutes).

1915 Pääsuke was convened during the First World War in the Russian army. He served in a Lithuanian Reserve Infantry Battalion, which was mobilized on September 8, 1915, and was staying in St. Petersburg on November 14. He was able to show his skills as a photographer, was given a camera and was allowed to continue to operate photographically in Russia and Estonia.

Pääsuke died in 1918 in a train accident in Orsha in Belarus.

Importance

At John Pääsuke is chiefly remembered as Volkstumsfotograf for his contributions to the Estonian National Museum. By 2003, the museum has identified 1305 images and 723 photographic plates as his work. It is believed that many more photographs, which could not be assigned, are also from him. The photographs depict landscapes, buildings, people and their tasks. They are taken with a 13x18 inch plate camera, but also other types of cameras.

Filmography (selection)

• Utotškini lendamised Tartu Kohal (first Estonian Documentary, 1912, lost)
• Utotškini lend (1912 )
• Tartu linn yes ümbrus (1912 )
• Ajaloolised mälestusmärgid Eestimaa minevikust (1913 )
• Retk läbi Setumaa (1913 )
• Karujaht Pärnumaal (first Estonian feature film, 1914)

Swell

• John Pääsuke. Man with Two Cameras About the exhibition of the Estonian National Museum of Tartu, 2003. (English)
• John Pääsuke: Mees kahe kaameraga / Man with two cameras. Tartu: Estonian National Museum, 2003 ISBN 9985-9414-9-7 images and estn / Eng. .. Texts. in: Kaelep, Kairi. " John Pääsuke: The story of his life and cooperation with the Estonian National Museum ." Pp. 81-93.
• Linnap, Peeter. "Life Director Pääsuke and positivist ethnography. " Pp. 95-104.
• Lõhmus, Jaak. "The once again Discovered film-maker Pääsuke. " Pp. 106-114.