Published 07/06/2016
What's your role at Bridgeman Images?
Working in London, I oversee all the marketing for our Berlin and Paris offices, supporting them with whatever they need. This includes writing creative content, press releases and taking care of some of our social media channels. I also research cultural content and trends, organise and coordinate events, identify new clients plus database management. My typical day is pretty diverse!
What do you love most about your job?
Coming from a picture desk, I’ve always enjoyed working with images. So when I saw that Bridgeman Images needed a German speaker, I had to apply. And here I am! I'm fascinated by the depth of our archives and feel incredibly blessed to call the people I work with friends, not just colleagues.
What misconceptions do people most commonly have about the archive?
Whenever I talk to clients at tradeshows or events, they mainly know Bridgeman Images for our art history content. They also think it’s very UK focused, but it's so much more. I’m always surprised with the variety, especially in photography. We’ve got some pretty amazing portraits in our archives. They range from the beginnings of photography to Golden Era movie stars.
Anja's top picks from our archive
Compartment C, Car 293
Every time I look at this particular painting, I find myself thinking about the woman’s story on her journey. And just look at all the greens in the picture!
Hopper was a huge fan of the cinema and you can see that in his paintings. They have a very film-like feeling: the setting, theatrical lighting, the pensive characters. It all seems to be made for an audience to look at. This one very much reminds me of Hitchcock’s film The Lady Vanishes.
Hitchcock actually acknowledged Hopper’s influence in the making of Psycho. His painting The House by the Railroad was the inspiration for the famous Bates estate.
Cinderella Greeting her Evil Stepmother
Honestly, I’m a sucker for fairy tales. And I’m not talking only about the ones with happy endings. There are lots of dark and twisted stories and, ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated by them. Much to the annoyance of the people who’ve lived with me over the past few years, I keep buying them. I'm slowly running out of bookshelf space!
I don’t just stop with fairy tales. There’s something very intriguing about the folklore, myths and legends passed down in the oral tradition over the centuries.
Charles Robert Darwin
When I started university, I studied media. But biology has always been one of my favourite subjects. During my last big oral exam in the German equivalent of sixth form, I was questioned about evolutionary theories. I had to discuss Darwin’s idea of evolution by natural selection in front of a panel.
Isn’t this picture from the Victorian photography studio Elliott & Fry just amazing?!
Impression: Sunrise
This was probably THE painting which introduced me to the world of art. My mum copied it as a birthday present for my aunt. I remember her standing in the bathroom as it had the best available light, painting after coming home from work. She did a great job considering she’d never done an oil painting before - or since. It’s still hanging in my aunt’s house. Her very own copy of a classic.
Animation of 'Elephant Walking'
I came across Muybridge’s work early on in one of my photography classes. His ability to capture movement somehow stuck with me. He was the pioneer of motion studies.
Relax (blue)
I love this Bridgeman Studio artist. It's no surprise she was one of the winners of the Bridgeman Studio Award in 2015! If one of our clients ever decides to do a clothes collection with her images, I’d be the first to buy a t-shirt.
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