Alois Löcherer

1815–1862

Alois Löcherer (German, 1815–1862) was one of the pioneers of photography in Bavaria and Germany. Born in Munich, he also studied pharmacy and chemistry at the university in his hometown and then worked as a pharmacist. Löcherer had seen first trials of daguerrotypes in Munich in 1839, and started experimenting himself with calotypes (one of the first processes using a negative, also called talbotypes) and daguerrotypes. From 1845 onwards he photographed professionally. His studio was one of the first in Munich, and next to numerous portraits he notably also photographed the making of the Bavaria-statue (around 1850), one of the earliest examples of photo-reportage. Among his students was photographer Franz Hanfstaengl.