Thora Hallager facts for kids
Thora Hallager (born in 1821, died in 1884) was a Danish photographer. She holds a special place in history as Denmark's very first female photographer.
Thora was the daughter of Andreas Hallager, who was an official. Her parents lived together until 1846.
Becoming a Photographer
Thora Hallager likely knew about daguerreotypy (an early type of photography) even before she traveled to Paris in 1855. She went to Paris to learn about the newest photography methods from America. She probably started working as a photographer in Copenhagen around 1850. Then, in 1857, she opened her very own photography studio.
Thora Hallager and Hans Christian Andersen
Thora Hallager was the landlady for the famous storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. She rented rooms to him in Copenhagen, first in Lille Kongensgade from 1866 to 1869, and later in Nyhavn from 1871 to 1873.
Andersen often wrote letters to Thora when he was traveling between 1867 and 1873. In these letters, he usually told her where he was and when he planned to return home. In one special letter, dated June 21, 1869, he told her how happy he was with a photograph she had taken of him. He also mentioned that everyone else who saw the picture loved it too!
Famous Photos by Thora Hallager
Thora Hallager took many important photographs during her career. Here are some examples of her work:
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Hans Christian Andersen (October 1869)
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Carl Wagner, an army officer
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Wilhelm Marstrand, a painter
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P.C. Skovgaard, another painter
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Novelist Mathilde Fibiger
