August Kotzsch

1836–1910

August Kotzsch (German, 1836–1910) was inspired to take up woodcuts and drawing in 1853 by the artist Ludwig Richter, who had his summer studio in Kotzsch's hometown Loschwitz near Dresden. Around 1860 the painter August Niemann introduced Kotzsch to photography. After Niemann's death Kotzsch inherited his camera equipment and worked as a commercial photographer in Loschwitz from 1861 on. Kotzsch drew on his immediate environment for his photographs. In addition to portraits, he specialized in landscape and nature studies as well as genre, object, and still life photography, which he sold to customers as far away as the US as photographic patterns for use by artists.