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About Hermann
The Missouri Photo Workshop (MPW)


Photo by Adam Masloski  

Hermann, Mo. Looks In the Mirror
The folks in Hermann, Mo. are used to seeing new faces. After all, their town touts its German heritage and attracts thousands of visitors with Spring and Fall festivals and the annual Kristkindl Market each December. And then there are the wineries, a half-dozen of them in and around Hermann, which also bring many thirsty patrons.

The newcomers last September were 40 photographers, a dozen faculty, a score of student workers and photography industry representatives who converged in Hermann for the 56th Missouri Photo Workshop. Hermann hosted the third MPW in 1951 and again was the subject of attention as this band of photojournalists worked to improve their story-telling skills and to capture the essence of this community.

 

 The week culminated with the workshop tradition of a public exhibit of photographs and the co-mingling of subjects with photographers was a moving experience. It's not often we see ourselves in a mirror, and for these Hermann residents it was a chance to see inside the lives of their relatives, friends, neighbors, in a more intimate and insightful way than the years of "hello, how are you?" on the sidewalk or at the coffee shop. The co-mingling of subjects with their subjects is always a moving experience. Also on display this year was the 1951 MPW exhibit on Hermann, a trip down memory lane for some, and a call for the 'good old days' by others. The MPW archive, as it grows yearly, provides a valuable repository of defining images of Small Town America.

View Hermann Photo Essays Here
Hermann, Mo 2004