About This Image

Inscribed 'Uplift the gun' and 'Tear into the lost' in Czech with drawing in pencil by artist on print verso. This photo was published in the magazine Ozveny Vlasty Burian.Jaroslav Balzar (January 21, 1884 Josefov - August 19, 1945 Prague) was a noted Czech photographer. He became famous mainly as a studio photographer for theater and film stars, but also made rare surrealist images and nudes.He was born in Josefov, trained as a photographer with Karel Dvo?ák in Jarom??. Then he went abroad for more experience. He worked in Silesia, Luxembourg, and from 1912 to 1914 he worked in the studio of Léopold-Émile Reutlinger in Paris.After returning to Prague, he married in 1920. He moved in film circles and even played episodic roles, for example in the film "Maharaja's Pleasures", which was directed by Karel Anton. He was also a successful magician, traveling to many European cities in this role.In 1922, he opened a photographic studio in house no. 761 on Jungmann Square 1. He used his acquaintances from film circles and became a popular portraitist of theater and film stars. Initially he worked in the art deco style, but later he adopted fashion styles from abroad. He became a close associate and friend of Vlasta Burian. He produced his photographs for the magazines Pestrý týden, Ozv?ny Vlasty Buriana and others. He not only produced technically superior studio portraits, but also a few artistic nudes, which not many photographers dared to shoot at the time.Jaroslav Balzar married Maria, née Šormová, in 1920, and the following year the couple's daughter Julie was born. Marie Balzarová died prematurely in 1926 at the age of 28.In 1942 Balzar became the chairman of the Provincial Union of Photographers' Associations in Bohemia.On the morning of July 19, 1945, his corpse was found in the street of October 28 in Prague. There appears to be some question about if his death was by suicide or murder due to a power struggle after WWII.His daughter, who ran the studio after him, went abroad in 1948 and took with her most of the work of this photographer, who fell into oblivion.An exhibition of photographs by Jaroslav Balzar was shown in the Josef Sudek Gallery in Úvoz in 2013 and 2014. Unfortunately very little of the artist's work has survived, but there is some of his work in the archives of the Prague Museum of Applied Arts.

Most U.S. domestic Fed Ex ground shipping (Media Mail for books) is free of charge except for larger and heavier items, or unless the buyer wants express shipping (email us your requests for the latter). International shipping and insurance costs will be added to the price and must be paid for by the buyer. Pennsylvania buyers must pay appropriate local sales tax. International clients are responsible for their local customs duties and taxes, which will be charged by Fed Ex, which will contact the client prior to delivery.