Collecting of original photographs has become very popular within the last 10 years. When I started my collection, about 20 years ago, there were not many fakes around and those which were on the market, could be easily detected as modern reprints of original negatives or duplicates of original photos. With the use of the internet and the growing number of collectors all over the world, more and more fakes came on the market. 

Prices of original photos increased, especially those of highly decorated soldiers, rare tanks and warbirds, etc. etc. 

This field of collecting has become a lucrative field for forgery today.

On these pages, I would like to give a few examples and hopefully some useful hints, how to detect "good" from "bad".

This little course is far from being complete. It is meant to be a guideline for new collectors, but it can not replace years and years of experience.

So what is now an original photo ?

Different from awards, uniforms, insignia etc. the distinction between "Good" or "Bad" can not easily be fixed on the date "8th of may 1945".

In general we have to make a difference between the practical process of "taking the photo" and having the film developed and making the paper-prints from the negatives.

We do not have to discuss the date of "taking the photo". As we are mostly only interested in photos that were taken before the end of 2nd worldwar, we can take the day of surrender as a dead-line.

Much more important is - when were the prints made !

Maybe a little example will do to answer this question:

In a private and personal photo-album from a german soldier are very interesting and rare photos of the day of surrender, the 8th of may in 1945 ( I have such an album in my collection )

Well, WHEN should these photos had been put to paper ?

Of course after, maybe long after, the 8th of may 1945 !

Let's presume the soldier went into captivity after that day. He returned home a few years later. The film-roll, not yet developed, was at his home, somewhere in an old box. The economical problems in post-war germany and the personal situation of "our" soldier was not to let him care of his photos from the day of surrender. He forgot about the film. Years later, germany is getting better, the 1950's, the so-called "Wirtschaftswunder" (economy boom) has brought some wealth to our soldier again. He remembers the film-roll in the old box. He takes it to a photographer's shop, has the film developed and prints were made. Let us further presume this happened in the end of the 1950's. There was no significant change in techniques and material in these years. And let us even presume, the photoshop, to where he brought his film, was still capable of old photographic papers made before 1945. What do You think about those prints ?

Originals ? Copies ? Or even fakes ?

No - in my opinion these prints are originals as if they were made before 1945 !

A reproduction (or reprint) is a new print from the original period negative. As long as they are made on old photographic papers and with using old techniques, one would not be able to see a difference between a print that was made before 1945 and a professional print that was made yesterday. Important is NOT the fact if it IS a reprint - important is the fact - what is the purpose of making a reprint. Does the maker of a reprint wants to fool somebody or is just to have a paper-print of a historical interesting photo ?

A copy is the making of a duplicate of the original (or reproduced) paper print. Nowadays also made by scanners in digital form.

For me, a fake is the making of a reproduction or a copy with the intention to fool the potential buyer and to cheat about the real date of production of the print !! The intention of making easy money turns a reprint into a fake.