Smokestack c. 1930

"Smokestack" (c. 1930) by Swiss photographer Hans Finsler is a striking example of New Objectivity, a movement that emphasized the clarity and precision of modern industrial forms. This black-and-white photograph captures the stark simplicity of a smokestack, using a low angle perspective that emphasizes its imposing height and cylindrical shape. The ladder running up the side of the smokestack adds a subtle sense of human scale to the otherwise imposing structure. The image is a testament to Finsler's skill in capturing the beauty of the everyday, turning an ordinary object into a powerful and evocative symbol of the industrial age.