I've spent a great deal of time searching for images and articles related to my dissertation in magazines from the Weimar era. One of the most accessible sources is the Illustrierte Presse, where many popular magazines have been uploaded. I think I was looking for images of carnivorous plants, when I came across the below collage from Das Kriminal-Magazin.
The kaleidoscopic arrangement of the images and texts reflects the
perception of the city as a rhythmic space of disorder, spectacle and danger. Particularly telling is the association of women in seductive poses with headlines announcing drugs and crime. Women (called the new woman) are as much a threat as other dark corners on the street.
Two headlines stand out as positve amidst the many references to crime. In the top left, the headline, "Ich bin eine anständige Frau ..." (I am a respectable woman) dominates the image. As with the other positive headline in the bottom left hand corner, "Immertreu" (always loyal), the headlines are ironical statements - they are a knowing wink to the viewer, signaled through quotation marks. The women aren't loyal - they aren't respectable. They are women walking the streets.
 |
| Das Kriminal-Magazin (April 1929) |
Two headlines stand out as positve amidst the many references to crime. In the top left, the headline, "Ich bin eine anständige Frau ..." (I am a respectable woman) dominates the image. As with the other positive headline in the bottom left hand corner, "Immertreu" (always loyal), the headlines are ironical statements - they are a knowing wink to the viewer, signaled through quotation marks. The women aren't loyal - they aren't respectable. They are women walking the streets.
