Lot 573 N α

The two press prints presented here (lot 572/573) are from the series ‘I Photograph Myself during a Parachute Jump’, with which Will Ruge achieved his greatest success as a photojournalist. A passionate pilot himself, Ruge documented his own parachute jump from a plane, turning it into a spectacular photo-reportage which was publicised worldwide.
The photographer also contributed the humorous texts that accompanied the pictures. The following account of the moment depicted was written by Ruge – as he puts it – still under the immediate impression of the experience: “It seemed to me as if some ruffian had suddenly grabbed me by the collar and lifted me up. This was the decisive moment, for that pull verified that the parachute had unfolded, and its braking action had already kicked in” (cf. Eskildsen/Hoffmann, 2017, p. 214).

The second shot (lot 573) was taken by the pilot of the accompanying airplane, who documented Ruge's daredevil jump. The shot was integrated by Ruge into his reportage, as were shots of the spectators watching the spectacle, including Ruge's worried wife with baby in her arms.