Cologne’s Museum Ludwig boasts one of the world’s most famous collections of photography. The first contemporary art museum to devote a substantial section to international photography, we traverse its rich collection of the most remarkable shots of the last century. 

The L. Fritz Gruber collection, from which this book is drawn, is one of the most important in Germany and one of the most representative anywhere in the world, constituting the core of the museum’s holdings.

This book provides a fascinating insight into the collection’s rich diversity; from conceptual art to abstraction to reportage, all of the major movements and genres are represented via a vast selection of the 20th century’s most remarkable photographs. From Ansel Adams to Piet Zwart, over 850 works are presented in alphabetical order by photographer, with descriptive texts and photographers’ biographical details, providing a comprehensive and indispensable overview of 20th-century photography.