Hugo A. Wilmar

In his short life, Hugo Wilmar 1923-1957 was a frontline wartime photographer, a sailor, a war volunteer, a marine photographer, a reportage photographer, a wildlife biologist and filmmaker. As the son of an army colonel, he grew up in the polders and dunes around Wassenaar in the Netherlands, where he photographed wild animals from an early age. In March 1944, when the Allied invasion seemed imminent, he fled with a small suitcase through France to Spain, where he was arrested and ended up in a camp. Thanks to the Dutch consul, he was able to travel to the United States via Gibraltar. He received a broad education in New York as a US Military photographer and filmmaker. During the Allied invasion, he photographed President Truman, General Eisenhower and General Wainwright.

'white Wilderness' walt-disney-studios-antarctica-hugo-wilmar-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — Hugo Wilmar and Eskimo guide Mikituk Filming 'White Wilderness' a motion picture true-life adventure in Technicolor for Walt Disney Studios. Hugh Wilmar almost lost his life while filming the great arctic beast. The bear, silently come up behind him and reared to strike when Mikituk shot him dead.

auntie-mary-usa-hugo-wilmar-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — My dearest auntie Mary who lives in Wisconison USA and wife of Hugo Wilmar

pyramids-of-giza-egypt-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — Pyramids of Giza Egypt Hugo Wilmar 1947

general-wainwright-new-york-square-1945-hugo-wilmar-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — General Jonathan Wainwright 1945 in Motorcade Lower Broadway New York at John Street Hugo Wilmar Combat Photographer

javanese-boys-indonesia-hugo-wilmar-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — Javanese boys Central Java Hugo Wilmar 1947

giza-sphinx-egypt-hugo-wilmar-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — Giza Sphinx and Pyramids of Egypt Hugo Wilmar 1947

al-rifa'i-mosque-egypt-hugo-wilmar-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — The Al-Rifa'i Mosque Cairo Egypt Hugo Wilmar 1947

dutch US marines-dutch-east-indies-hugo-wilmar-combat-photographer-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — Dutch US Marines engaged in Dutch East Indies Hugo Wilmar Combat Photographer

egyptian-men-in-discussion-cairo-hugo-wilmar-chris-wilmar-architect-for-wilmar-schutz — Egyptian Men in discussion at civic building Cairo Hugo Wilmar 1947

Hugo Wilmar Combat Photographer US Military 1945

Immediately after WW2, Hugo Wilmar worked for the Dutch Navy brigade stationed in the US and in November 1945 embarked to East Java where he recorded the actions of the Dutch Marines and Indonesians. There, his sharp frontline American war photographic skills recorded frontline action and made front page of Life magazine with his photographs. Just like the American wartime photographers, Hugo Wilmar was on the “front line” and ran the same dangers as the soldiers he photographed.

The Dutch war-time photographer Hugo Wilmar later became a wildlife photographer and filmmaker for Walt Disney, now known as Disney. During one of his journeys through South America, he died tragically at the age of 34 in a fatal train accident near the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. On a mountainside near the Disney Studios in California you can still find a memory of the adventurous photographer: a commemorative stone with the striking text “Down in flight like a wild bird”. Hugo Wilmar was only 34 years old.

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Wilmar Schutz – Architectural Watercolour Portraits

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