Leave the Gloom Behind: Discover the Playful World of Quirky Photography Inspired by John Gutmann (1905–1998)

An Overview and How-To Guide to Capturing the Unconventional Spirit of 20th Century Photography

Oh! Go brush you teeth! Blinking toothpaste, “Stomatol,” and toothbrush glamor up the skyline in Stockholm way back when. Photo by Matthew Bamberg

The urban photographers here took pictures that showed the negative side of the Depression, but my pictures show the almost bizarre, exotic qualities of the country. … I was seeing America with an outsider’s eyes — the automobiles, the speed, the freedom, the graffiti … — John Gutmann, San Francisco

Born in Germany, John Gutmann came to the United States in 1933, when Hitler was appointed chancellor. The year civil rights disappeared, freedom of expression was banned, indiscriminate arrests transpired, and opponents of the Nazis were outlawed.

In Germany, Gutmann had trained as a painter. His style: Facist.

Fascist art is art co-opted from Art Deco and similar to Bauhaus in its geometric form. Used primarily in architecture to create a streamlined aesthetic popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

His self-portrait is well known from a 2005 exhibition of…