---
title: Smile! How the Smile Came Into Photography
subtitle: From stiff portraits to selfies
image: smile.jpg
imageCaption: Klassenfoto, 1923, Archiv Museum Ludwig
event:
  session1: 2026-03-05 10:30
  session2: 2026-03-05 18:30
  venue: Museum Ludwig
  venueUrl: https://www.museum-ludwig.de
  venueAddress: Heinrich-Böll-Platz, 50667 Köln
  fee: "Regular ArtTalk 28€; Kids/Students/Artists 8€; KölnTag: free entrance with Cologne ID"
  registrationInformation: Register one week before. Minimum 5, maximum 15 participants.
  bankAccount: DE17 6723 0000 4019 2455 50
  paymentInformation: Fee payable one week before the ArtTalk. Refund possible with prior notice.
  information: "Meeting point: central foyer, column with the BLUE dot. Large bags must be checked. Contact: info@art-talks.de"
# publishOnWebsite: Calendar
---

Smiling in photos feels natural today, but it wasn’t always that way.

This ArtTalk takes a fun, surprising look at how the “camera smile” became a social habit.

We’ll explore how technology (long exposure times), etiquette shaped early portraits, and how photography slowly shifted from stiff documentation to something more personal and performative - say “cheesse!”

Or course, we’ll connect the dots to the present.

Think selfies, social media, and the subtle pressure to look “effortlessly happy.”

You’ll leave with fresh eyes for what a simple expression can communicate, and what it can conceal. Join us for a revealing look at what we now take for granted 😊

💡 Long Cologne Thursday opening, free for Cologne citizens (bring your valid ID).

- 📍 Meeting Point: Museum Ludwig, Central foyer, by the column with the BLUE dot.
- 💰 Fee: €28 adults \| €8 students, artists, and kids

We’ll wrap up with *refreshments* 🥤 and relaxed networking 🤝 swapping impressions with the ArtTalk community ✨

Join us to for new perspectives and fresh ideas 😍