Bernd & Hilla Becher's photographic method explored in new publication

A new book titled 'Il metodo Bernd & Hilla Becher' by Carola Allemandi and Anita Romanello examines the working method of the renowned German photographers. Bernd Becher (1931–2007) was born in Siegen, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, known for its centuries-old mining tradition, especially iron extraction. Coming from a family of miners, he was drawn to depicting industrial architecture that defined his hometown. From the 1960s onward, many of these structures were demolished for urban redevelopment and industrial transformation; Bernd saw his illustrations as a way to preserve their memory. He turned to photography later, influenced by Hilla Becher (née Hiltrud Helga Anna Wobeser, 1934–2015), an active photographer since the 1950s. The publication delves into their collaborative approach and typological documentation of industrial buildings.