Aho & Soldan

Brothers Heikki Aho and Björn Soldan—the former an engineer, the latter a photographer—were pioneers of Finnish documentary. Founded in 1925, the Aho & Soldan company produced over 400 documentaries, ranging in subject matter from ethnography to propaganda.

Thanks to the latest developments in film stock, and a distinctive aesthetic focus, the company gained prestige both as a commercial and an artistic body. Drawing influence from contemporary European avant-garde movements in film and photography, Aho & Soldan's diverse body of work married cultural tradition and patriotism with images of a modern industrial nation.

Presented in conjunction with The Photographers' Gallery