Johannes Schröder (1870-1942) was not only a wealthy German merchant but also a globetrotter and a pioneer in utilising the invention of photography to document his time, writes Tom Derbyshire.
The fruits of his labours are evident in a vast photography collection showcasing his interest in art, travel, and contemporary lives of natives in Asia, Africa and North America at the turn of the 20th century.
The collection comprises 10 albums containing over a thousand images and nearly 300 images in loose sheets. It includes not just personal snapshot-style photos taken by Schröder himself but also professional shots taken by the likes of Felice Beato.