Adèle Perlmutter-Heilperin

Adele Perlmutter-Heilperin was a photographer working in Vienna in the late 1800s. Though information about this heroine is scarce, we can piece together an impressive catalogue of works that span a successful and impactful career.

Although there is limited information on Adèle, she was born in 1845 in what is now Ukraine (although some sources say 1835 in Prague). She moved to Vienna where she began her work as a photographer in the 1860s. She produced an impressive portfolio of portraits of the Viennese elite.

She established the studio Atelier Adèle in 1862 with her two brothers Max and Willhelm. They found great success in their work, and the studio prospered in the late 1800s; ultimately being named photographers to the Imperial Court of Vienna.

The high-profile nature of the clients of the atelier, as well as the high quality of the photography, is what has made the work of Adèle so impactful. Her work largely features stage actors and nobility, meaning that she was intertwined with the upper echelon of Viennese society.

Adèle’s success as one of the first female photographers in Vienna and the success of Atelier Adèle paved the way for more women photographers in Vienna.  Today, cards from the studio are a highly desirable collector’s item. Her works can be found in the V&A in London, as well as a host of private galleries across the world.

Hundred Heroines has a small collection of her Cartes de Visite.

By Hannah Fitzsimmons