Otto Fernand Landauer (October 3, 1903 – September 19, 1980) was a prominent Canadian photographer of German-Jewish origin, and proprietor of Leonard Frank Photos Studio from 1946–1980.
[1] Despite being in his youth during World War I, Landauer's fierce patriotism compelled him to join the Bavarian Defense Organization as a cadet.
He loved the beauty of his native land and spent a large amount of time traversing the mountains of the Karwendel Range with other members of the Männer Turn-Verein (Men's Athletic-Gymnastic Club) of Munich.
Until 1927, when he was forced to reside more permanently in Munich due to his father's ailing health, Landauer spent time in the Swiss, Austrian, and Italian Alps, racing and working as a ski instructor for the German-Austrian Alpenclub.
After having been briefly jailed on falsified charges by the SS, Landauer fled Germany, skiing west through the Austrian Alps to Liechtenstein.
Their sister Hansi had immigrated to Vancouver with her husband years earlier and was able to fund Landauer's passage to Portland by way of Cuba.
Despite his Jewish heritage, they were married by a priest in St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Victoria, British Columbia on August 9, 1954, the same year Landauer attained Canadian citizenship.
Cyril Leonoff says Landauer was:"proud of Vancouver, felt strongly that his photographs were a continuum in the history of the city, and he had an archivist's determination that the photos he produced with such care, like those of his predecessor Leonard Frank, should be preserved for posterity.