Holger Damgaard (24 July 1870 – 15 January 1945) was a Danish photographer. He was employed by ''

Politiken ''Politiken'' is a leading Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1884 and played a role in the formation of the Danish Social Liberal Party. Since 1970 it has been indepe ...

'' from December 1908 as the first press photographer in Denmark. He was also a co-founder and the first president of the

Danish Union of Press Photographers The Danish Union of Press Photographers (Denmark, Danish: Pressefotografforbundet), a trade union, is the oldest national organization for newspaper photographers in the world. Based in Copenhagen, in 2009 it had 820 members. History The union was ...

Early life and education

Damgaard was born in

Ribe Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,367 (2025). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged E ...

, the son of bookseller Anton Jensen Damgaard (1838–85) and Marie Sophie Eriksen (born 1850). He received a commercial education in

Varde Varde is a Danish city in southwestern Jutland and is the primary city in the municipality of Varde, in Region of Southern Denmark. In 2015 municipality changed its motto to "We in nature" to emphasize its rural atmosphere. The town has an old ma ...

and then travelled to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

where he made a living for instance by teaching

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Photography

In New York City, being an enthusiastic amateur photographer, Damgaard noticed the important role that press photographers played in American media. Back in Denmark, from 1900, he managed to sell a number of photographs to the weekly ''Hver 8. Dag''. He was particularly fond of the autotypy technique which gained popularity in Denmark from around 1897. In December 1908, he convinced

Henrik Cavling Paulus Henrik Cavling ( Paulus Henrik Olsen, 22 March 1858 – 7 August 1933) was a Danish Journalist, news editor and author. Biography Paulus Henrik Olsen was born on 22 March 1858 in Kongens Lyngby, Copenhagen, Denmark. He was the editor-i ...

to introduce autotypy at

. On 7 December 1908, a photograph by Damgaard featuring a group of children in front of a toy store became the first autotypy brought in a Danish newspaper. Damgaard was subsequently hired by Politiken on a permanent basis. Another major newspaper publisher De Ferslewske Blade hired Th. Larsen, who would later work for

Berlingske Tidende ''Berlingske'', previously known as ''Berlingske Tidende'' (, 'Berling's Times'), is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen. It is considered a newspaper of record for Denmark. First published on 3 January 1749, ''Berlingske'' is ...

. Damgaard, Larsen and four other press photographers founded the

in 1912 with Damgaard as its first president. He was known for his short response time, often arriving in his

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

, and for often climbing structures for the best angle, something that earned him the nickname ''tårnuglen'' ("The Tower Owl") among his colleagues. He retired at the age of 70 without having had a single sick day.

Personal life

Damgaard married Ellen Karene Pauline Paulsen Samsøe (1 March 1879 – 25 Kune 1957). He died on 15 January 1945 in

Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately from Copenhagen. History Ringsted was the site of ''Sjællands Landsting'' (lit. ''Z ...

and is buried in Solbjerg Cemetery.

Legacy

More than 30,000 of Dangaard's negatives are now kept in the National Library of Denmark.

References

External links

Holger Damgaard
at geni.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Damgaard, Holger 19th-century Danish photographers 20th-century Danish photographers Danish photographers Politiken photojournalists 1870 births 1945 deaths People from Ribe