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Charles Bernhoeft

1859 – 1933

Photographer

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About Charles Bernhoeft

Lived 1859 – 1933 (aged 73). Charles Bernhoeft was a Luxembourgish photographer.

Charles Michel Bernhoeft (22 July 1859 – 7 February 1933) was a Luxembourgish photographer known for his portraits of the Grand Ducal court, as well as numerous landscapes that he turned into postcards.

Early life and family Born in Luxembourg City on 22 July 1859, Bernhoeft was the son of army officer Carl Johann Adolph Bernhoeft and Marguerite Specht, the daughter of a merchant. He was the only son but had six sisters. In 1889, after studying photography and lithography, Bernhoeft married Marie-Louise Bernardy, a schoolteacher's daughter. They had two sons.

Career Bernhoeft created a number of photo albums, illustrated magazines and several series of postcards, one of which contains 1,600 different images. Some 20 people were employed by his firm, Editions photographiques Bernhoeft.

In 1895, together with the journalist Jean-Nicolas Moes, Bernhoeft launched Luxembourg's first illustrated weekly magazine, Das Luxemburger Land in Wort und Bild, which published nine issues.

Flash invention

Bernhoeft was also an inventor, developing systems providing indirect artificial lighting to facilitate portrait photography. He adapted the approach to magnesium flash photography, which proved successful for photographing children, unable to keep still for very long. He patented the device as Bernhoeft's Blitzlichtapparat Sanssouci and sold some 300 units.

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Important facts

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Charles Bernhoeft's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Charles Bernhoeft?

photographer (1859-1933)

When was Charles Bernhoeft born?

Charles Bernhoeft was born on 22 July 1859 in Luxembourg.

When did Charles Bernhoeft die?

Charles Bernhoeft died on 7 February 1933 in Beggen.

What was Charles Bernhoeft's occupation?

Charles Bernhoeft was a photographer.

What nationality was Charles Bernhoeft?

Charles Bernhoeft was Luxembourgish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Charles Bernhoeft

· Wikidata: Q2958550

· DBpedia: Charles Bernhoeft

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Charles Bernhoeft. https://biography.guide/charles-bernhoeft/

MLA: "Charles Bernhoeft." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/charles-bernhoeft/.

Chicago: "Charles Bernhoeft." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/charles-bernhoeft/.

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