EDITH BARAKOVICH

(1896-1940)

Edith Barakovich (1896-1940) studied photography at the Grafische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt in Vienna, while working as an apprentice at the studio of Dora Kallmus (1881-1963) - professionally known as Madame d’Ora – between 1913 and 1915. In 1918, once her training was completed, she was accepted to the prestigious Wiener Photographische Gesellschaft (Vienna Photographic Society). That same year, she opened her own studio, where she began a successful career as portrait and fashion photographer. Her work was regularly featured in Die Dame, Das Magazin and Die Bühne; the latter being Austria’s premier theatre and culture magazine established in 1924. She married the screenwriter Paul Frank (1885-1976) and relocated to Berlin in 1930 to open Atelier de Moda. Unfortunately, she returned to Vienna in 1933 due to the rise of National Socialism and fled to Casablanca via France following the Austrian Anschluss in 1938. She committed suicide in Morocco in December 1940, due to the anxiety caused by problems with her visa to the USA.