Origin and tradition: The Grand Ducal photo collection from the reign of Frederick I and his wife Luise probably originated from gifts, orders and acquisitions (e.g. while travelling). It is not yet possible to say to what extent there was a real will to collect, but the collection was carefully preserved, partly noted in inventory lists and probably moved from Karlsruhe Castle to the New Palace in Baden-Baden in 1919. There, even after the death of Grand Duchess Luise, he occasionally grew. When the castle inventory of 1995 was dissolved, the State of Baden-Württemberg was able to acquire the entire photo collection for the General State Archives; a selection of family photos and some magnificent volumes remained the property of the House of Baden. He also owns an essential part of the photo collection of the last Grand Duke, Frederick II, who fortunately was not kept in the Freiburg Palais after 1919. Content: The medium of photography was highly valued and consciously used at the Baden court as a modern form of princely representation. The distribution of portrait series to the public can be reconstructed and the long reign of Frederick I enabled the presence of the "father of the country" or the "parents of the country", as can be found among the Hohenzollern, the Wittelsbachers or the Habsburgs. Documents from these photo commissions to the court photographers make up a not insignificant part of the collection. The proportion of gifts and souvenir pictures received after anniversaries, celebrations, manoeuvres, exhibitions, inaugurations, etc. is greater; the handing over of portraits of foreign visitors also belonged to this group, especially in the context of the summer stays in Baden-Baden. One of the most important gifts are probably the works with which photographers wanted to attract attention, acquire the title of court photographer or receive further commissions; in this way, works from the early days of photography came into the Grand Duke's possession: signed prints by Charles Clifford, the Upper Italian and Southwest German series by Jakob August Lorent in 60x80 format already admired at the time of their creation (Lorent also left to the Grand Duke a detailed description of his recording and development process) or, to name regionally effective photographers, photographs by Richard/Heidelberg, Tillman-Matter/Mannheim, Th. shoe man
