Born and raised in the valley of Tegernsee in Southern Bavaria, Thomas Glas is a third-generation car mechanic running his own oldtimer and vintage car workshop. Since my own birth in 1989 I visit the region of Tegernsee, seeing my grandparents at least once or twice a year. My entire life had I heard them mention the name "Glas" whenever one of their cars needed repairs during all those years.

By now both of my grandparents have deceized, what remains is a lifetime of memories, a lot of them related not only to their house, but to very specific places around the lake, the nearby mountains and the town of Tegernsee itself. Spending a few weeks by the lake in summer 2024, I wondered through an omnipresent spatiality of memories. Frequently heading to the famous century-old Bräustüberl down by the lake, I kept on walking past the backwalls of the notorious workshop by the so ominous Mr. Thomas Glas: a name I have known for as long as my own, but had never actually put a face to. Curious about the person behind the name, I decided to pay a visit to his owner.

On two occasions, co-creating a series of portraits in his working environment, I photographed Thomas on both digital camera and 120mm analog medium format film. His workshop and the surrounding garages are like a private museum of transport, hiding a whole collection of unexpected gems behind their inconspicious barn doors. His workplace is a testimony to a life dedicated to craft and a playful passion for anything motorized, from vintage single-cylinder motorcycles to 1927 fire trucks. If there is one person in the valley of lake Tegernsee that seems to know and be friends with everyone - it is Thomas Glas. Open, helpful, generous and diligent he received me like an old friend.

In hindsight I am deeply moved by how Thomas welcomed and opened up to me. What an enriching encounter, may you enjoy the fruits of our photographic sessions as much as I enjoyed producing them. Thank you Thomas.