When one imagines photography before the twentieth century, one automatically pictures people standing still, in awkward positions, supported by frames and special chairs to keep them steady during long exposures. But those and other technical constraints disappeared within a few decades, to a point where street photography and hidden cameras became something viable. This was proven thanks to the work of Norwegian mathematician Carl Størmer, who made dozens of captures in the city of Oslo during his time as a student there.
A mathematician with a hidden camera
Carl Størmer is much better known for his work in number theory and the study of polar auroras. He was born in the Norwegian city of Skien, gaining his mathematical experience at what is now the University of Oslo (its former name was Royal Frederick University) over a period of five years. That gave him enough time to get to know the capital and, above all, the people who inhabited it. However, there is a very important detail we must highlight: Størmer was an amateur street photographer, and with the help of a hidden C.P. Stirn camera he managed to obtain a large number of images in which we can see men and women going about their daily activities, relaxed and without pressure. Impeccably dressed gentlemen, many ladies, the occasional photo with officers or children, and even a picture with a cat appeared in his captures. Carl Størmer, a 'paparazzo' in the late nineteenth century.
