Giorgio Sommer (2 September 1834 – 7 August 1914) was one of Europe's most important and prolific photographers of the 19th century. Active from 1857 to 1888, he produced thousands of images of archeological ruins, landscapes, art objects, and portraits. Sommer was born in

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

(modern-day Germany), where he studied business. He opened his first photography studio in Switzerland, where he made relief images of mountains for the Swiss government. In 1856, Sommer moved his business to

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

and in 1866 formed a partnership with fellow German photographer (also known as Edmondo Behles), who owned a studio in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Operating from their respective Naples and Rome studios, Sommer and Behles became one of the largest and most prolific photography concerns in Italy. He held studios in Naples at: * Strada di Chiaia 168 * Via Monte di Dio 4 and 8 * Piazza della Vittoria Sommer's catalog included images from the

Vatican Museums The Vatican Museums (; ) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the best-known Roman sculptures and ...

, the National Archeological Museum at Naples, the Roman ruins at

Pompeii Pompeii ( ; ) was a city in what is now the municipality of Pompei, near Naples, in the Campania region of Italy. Along with Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Villa Boscoreale, many surrounding villas, the city was buried under of volcanic ash and p ...

, as well as street and architectural scenes of Naples,

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, Rome,

Capri Capri ( , ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. A popular resort destination since the time of the Roman Republic, its natural beauty ...

, and

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

. Most notably, Sommer published his comprehensive album ''Dintorni di Napoli'', which contained over one hundred images of everyday scenes in Naples. In April 1872, he documented a very large eruption of

Mount Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

in a series of stunning photographs. Sommer and Behles exhibited extensively and earned numerous honors and prizes for their work (London: 1862, Paris: 1867,

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

: 1873,

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

: 1885). At one time, Sommer was appointed official photographer to King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy. Sommer was involved in every aspect of the photography business. He published his own images that he sold in his studios and to customers across Europe. In later years, he photographed custom images for book illustrations, as well as printing his own albums and

postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a postcard f ...

s. Sommer worked in all the popular formats of his day:

carte de visite The ''carte de visite'' (, English: 'visiting card', abbr. 'CdV', pl. ''cartes de visite'') was a format of small photograph which was patented in Paris by photographer André Adolphe Eugène Disdéri in 1854, although first used by Louis Dodero ...

stereoview Stereoscopy, also called stereoscopics or stereo imaging, is a technique for creating or enhancing the depth perception, illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word ''stereoscopy'' derives . Any ster ...

, and large albumen prints (approximately ) which were sold individually and in bound albums. The partnership with Behles ended in 1874, after which each photographer continued his own business. In Naples, Sommer opened a total of four additional studios: at No. 4 and No. 8 Monte di Dio, No. 5 Magazzino S. Caterina, and a last at Piazza della Vittoria. Sommer died in Naples in 1914.

Gallery

File:1863 Sommer Menschliche Abgüsse aus Pompeij anagoria.JPG, ''Pompeii: Human Casts found on 5 February 1863'',

Städel The Städel, officially the ''Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie'', is an art museum in Frankfurt, with one of the most important collections in Germany. The museum is located at the Museumsufer on the Sachsenhausen bank of t ...

File:Sommer, Giorgio (1834-1914) - n. 3142 - Capri, Marina - (ca. 1880).jpg,

Marina Grande, Capri Marina Grande is the main port of the island of Capri in Italy, to the north of the main town of Capri (town), Capri and at the foot of Mount Solaro. History The Marina Piccola, on the island's southern shore, preceded the Marina Grande; it w ...

, 1880 File:Sommer, Giorgio (1834-1914) - n. 6110 - Napoli - via Roma - (alternative take).jpg,

, 1880s File:Sommer, Giorgio (1834-1914) - n. 8935 - Vesuvio cratere 26 aprile 1883.jpg, ''Crater of the

Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ) is a Somma volcano, somma–stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

, 26 April 1883'' (Catalogue # 8935) File:Sommer, Giorgio (1834-1914) - n. 6144 - (Mangiamaccheroni).jpg, ''Spaghetti eaters'' (Naples), before 1886 File:Stabbia Street (Pompeii).jpg, ''Stabbia Street (Pompeii)'', File:Doimede's house (Pompeii).jpg, ''Doimede's house (Pompeii)'', File:Basilica (Pompeii).jpg, ''Basilica (Pompeii)'', File:Amphitheatre (Pompéi).jpg, ''Amphitheatre (Pompeii)'', File:The Temple of Venus (Pompeii).jpg, ''The Temple of Venus (Pompeii)'', File:The Temple of Isis (Pompeii).jpg, ''The Temple of Isis (Pompeii)'', File:The remains of Numerius Popidius Priscus' bakery (Pompeii).jpg, ''The remains of Numerius Popidius Priscus' bakery (Pompeii)'', File:Street of tombs (Pompeii).jpg, ''Street of tombs (Pompeii)'', File:Panorama of Pompeii with Via di Mercurio.jpg, ''Panorama of Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius in the background (Pompeii)'', File:Panorama Forum Rivile (Pompeii).jpg, ''Panorama Forum Rivile (Pompeii)'', File:Forum (Pompeii).jpg, ''Forum (Pompeii)'', File:Le_temple_de_Neptune,_Campanie,_Italie,_1854..jpg, ''The Temple of Neptune'',

References

External links

*
Biography

Artnet

How a photo becomes a drawing. Giorgio Sommer's early photograph of Valletta's Grand Harbour was published across Europe
''Times of Malta'', 13 September 2023.
Catalogo di fotografie d'Italia, Malta e Tunisi
G. Sommer & Figlio, "Catalogo di fotografie d'Italia, Malta e Tunisi". Napoli, Tipografia Scarpati, 1900. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sommer, Giorgio 1834 births 1914 deaths Photographers from Frankfurt 19th-century Italian photographers 19th-century Swiss photographers German emigrants to Italy German expatriates in Switzerland