MADAME D'ORA

(1881-1963)

Born Dora Phillippine Kallmus in Vienna on 20th March 1881, Madame d'Ora was the first woman to study at the Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt. In 1905 she became a member of the Association of Austrian Photographers and in 1907 she established her own studio in Vienna with Arthur Benda (1885 – 1969) called the Atelier d’Ora or Madame D’Ora-Benda. From 1921 to 1926, they also ran a summer studio in Karlsbad, Germany and they opened a Parisian gallery in 1925. Subjects photographed in Atelier d’Ora include Josephine Baker (1906-1975), Coco Chanel (1883-1971), Colette (1873-1954) and Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980) amongst others.