Late Great Engineers: Oskar Barnack - 20th century image maker

It was the shot that was seen all around the world – the raising of the flag of the Soviet Union over the Reichstag in Berlin. One of the most recognisable reportage photographs taken during the Second World War, this image has become a symbol of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and of the end of the war itself. The date: 2^nd May 1945. The photographer: Yevgeny Khaldei. The camera: Leica III rangefinder. The inventor: Oskar Barnack.

Although just one of thousands of images that defined the history of the 20^th century, this shot stands out because it shows simply how far camera technology had come in such a short space of time. During the First World War, photography had been a process that was far closer to fine art than cutting edge news reporting, a stately affair in which huge tripod-mounted plate cameras sought to freeze a world of static subjects, stage lighting and stylised studio backdrops. But by the mid-20^th century, the pocket-sized Leica 35mm film rangefinder camera had introduced a spontaneity to visual journalism that allowed photographers the freedom to invent vivid new genres, from the frontline of conflict to the fashion catwalk.