I studied photography in 1935 at a small studio named Studio Toëlle in Berlin. Using a large Victorian camera with glass negatives we focused mainly on traditional portraiture. In my late teens I went on to freelance for Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera and on arrival in Auckland, I undertook a role at the Auckland Star newspaper. As well as taking photographs, I also developed prints in my darkroom at home, a service I also provided for other local photographers.
My career was cut short in Auckland due to my camera being confiscated by the New Zealand authorities in the 1940s. Despite being a Jewish refugee from the Nazi regime, unfortunately, I was still considered an “enemy alien” because of my German nationality. My love for photography has never wavered and I have continued to take photographs, albeit not professionally. I most recently learned how to take photographs with my granddaughter’s iPhone 11, it’s not quite a Rolleiflex but very impressive I must say.
