Studio Stone, or Atelier Stone, emerged from the photographic collaboration of the Belgian Wilhelmine Camille Honorine Schammelhout (1892-1975), aka Cami Stone, and the Russian Aleksander Serge Steinsapir (1895-1940), aka Sasha Stone. They met in Berlin, where they established their studio in 1924. Although the name "Stone" is now somewhat forgotten, the couple were among the best photographers of their time. Journalists and chroniclers praise their photographs, often placing them on a par with, or even above, fellow photographers considered important references in the history of photography, such as André Kertész, Germaine Krull, László Moholy-Nagy, Albert Renger-Patzsch, and even Man Ray, to name just a few.
In 1920, the vibrant world of photography found a new form of expression with the avant-garde movements "Neues Sehen" ("New Photography") and "Neue Sachlichkeit" ("New Objectivity") that had emerged in Germany. The Stones were an integral part of this avant-garde, as were many of their acquaintances in Berlin, Paris, and Brussels. They were widely represented in the major "modern" photography exhibitions of the period. In 1929, during the Internationale Ausstellung des Deutschen Werkbunds Film und Foto (FiFo) in Stuttgart, Zurich, Vienna, and Berlin, Sasha was one of the photographers who presented the most photographs at the exhibition and in the accompanying publication. For the International Exhibition of Photography held at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels in 1932, organizers Claude Spaak and ELT Mesens asked Cami Stone to be the Belgian delegate. The couple's place in the exhibition is also noteworthy, as they rented an entire space to display their photographs. Their photos were also published in numerous magazines and illustrated newspapers of the time.
In the early 1930s, the Stones left the German capital for Brussels, where they opened a new studio. They would continue working there until their divorce in 1939. They continued photographing afterward: Sasha under the name "Sasha Stone, art photographer" and Cami as "Cami Schammelhout." Throughout the studio's existence, the prints were organized and identified. Most photographs were stamped on the back with the text "Atelier Stone," "Studio Stone," "Copyright Sasha Stone," or "Copyright Cami Stone." However, the stamps cannot be considered strict attributions to Cami or Sasha. The commercial use of the collection, their desire not to label all the images specifically, the division of the collection when they ceased their joint work, and subsequent changes necessitate caution. Indeed, it seems pointless to try to find a name based on style, so close was their artistic collaboration.
Delving into the Stones' work, one discovers a wide range of photographic subjects: architecture, urban planning, nudes, performance photography, artistic and political portraits, and social reportage. Both photographers devoted equal attention to these diverse productions. The Stones' publications encompass advertising, industrial and artistic photography, and children's portraits, without any qualitative distinction. After moving to Brussels, they continued to work in the same way, exploring the same themes as during their Berlin period. This consistency is also evident in the technical and aesthetic quality of their photographs, characterized by the use of a frog or bird's-eye view, dynamic framing, sharp subjects, and attention to light.
