The basic feature of Czechoslovak photography is apparent at the first glance - the native medium has maintained a certain independence of the main trends in world photography today. This does not mean by far that Czechoslovak photography has developed in isolation. From the very beginning, photographers here have endeavoured to attain their own artistic expression, taking their cue from their own native surroundings. The truth of this is apparent from their results, even though one of the pioneer photographers from Czechoslovakia, Dr. D.J.Ruzicka, created most of his work in New York, and one of the representatives of the prewar avantgarde, Jindrich Styrsky, went to Paris for inspiration. Yes, many contemporary photographers glean ideas from all the corners of the globe. The native medium here is expressed with an eye to feeling and thought, not in the sense of jingoism, but open to new thoughts and ideas no matter where their source.