Franciszek Rozłucki (1902-1986)

Franciszek Rozłucki was born in Stryju in 1902, he gained his education in Sambor and Vienna. He arrived in Nowy Targ in 1930 and opened here his photo lab „Sztuka” [Art] on the Market Square under the No. 5. He was professionally active until 1975, later the lab was run by his son, Adam Rozłucki. He took portrait photographs but he was also a good observer and documentarian who could perfectly capture everyday activities and life of the inhabitants of the town and its surroundings. Pictures taken by him: genre scenes of fairs, streets, farming, confirm the great artistic feeling, excellent technique and big talent of this photographer of Nowy Targ. His photographs were published in „Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny”, the most popular and the biggest newspaper of Poland in the interwar period. He occupied himself also with artistic creation. In many houses in Nowy Targ there are his drawings, water-colour and oil paintings. 

High School Photography Club

The High School Photography Club was active in the 30s of the 20th century. Students, under the supervision of professor Józef Bryniczka (1899-1939), took many pictures of the town and its surroundings and documented the life of their school: celebrations, sport competitions, trips.  In 1933 the Club members took part in a photography competition organised by „Kuźnia Młodych”, a student's magazine edited by students from high schools in Warsaw. Encouraged by the Museum of Tatra in Zakopane thy also performed archiving of historic relics of the tradition art of Podhale. They presented their works on exhibitions organised at their own cost in their school. Active members of the Club were brothers Józef  and Kazimierz Skalski; photographs of a flood in Nowy Targ in 1934 taken by the latter were published in a Poznan's weekly „Przewodnik Katolicki” ["Catholic Guide"].

Photo Lab „Tatry” in Zakopane

The Zakopane company „Tatry”, established by Stanisław Zdyb (1884-1954), a sculptor, rock-climber and teacher in the School of Wood Industry, run together with Józef Oppenheim (1847-1946), long-term superior of the Tatra Volunteer Search and Rescue, often appeared in the so called reports in Nowy Targ. In the collection of the Podhale Museum there are pictures taken during celebrations on the occasion of establishing of Związek Drużyn Podhalańskich on the Main Square of Nowy Targ on 4 May 1913 by the photo lab „Tatry” . The company also issued post cards.

Zbigniew Sułkowski's Photo Lab in Zakopane

The famous photo lab of Zbigniew Sułkowski was located on the Krupówki Street in Zakopane. After World War II the Tatra Museum in Zakopane purchased the negatives and the positives of the photographer for its collection, among which there are also pictures of Nowy Targ, taken in the interwar period. In the Podhale Museum there are 7 photographs of Nowy Taru, taken by Sułkowski during occupation.

Text: Anna Majorczyk