Helene was one of the young Jewish women who had migrated to Vienna in the course of World War 1 and who firmly grasped the independence made available to them as a result of the upheaval which enabled their emancipation. She studied photography at the Graphischen Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt in Vienna and established her own photographic studio in there at Stubenring 18 in March 1925. She was primarily a portrait photographer but also one of dance and action photography. Among her clients were the Vienna well established society as well as actors dancers and artists. She taught a series of young aspiring photographers who trained in her studio among them Hans Popper, Anton Josef Trčka and Elly Prager Mandovsky (Elly Niebuhr). By 1. April 1939 she had escaped the Nazi persecution to England.    (taken in part from From: Anton Holzer: Viennese Female Studio Photographers. Biographical Notes, in: Trude Fleischmann. A Self-Assured Eye. Exhibition catalogue, Vienna 2011 (Hatje Cantz publisher), p. 184-185. )

Pg (=party member) Franz Jungwirth                                                  Vienna, 1 July 1939 
Liquidator, appointed on the basis of                                                   Received 3 July 1939 
the Decree of 23 November 1938 
Responsible for the country of Austria 618/1938 
Vienna 107, Elterleinplatz 6/23 
telephone: U 52 309

Report on Wealth, Liquidation Plan, and simultaneously Final Report

Serial number 12 

Re:  K a t z Helene, Photo Studio, Vienna 1 Stubenring 18IV

                On the basis of the communication of the landlord Pm. Gustav L u c h e s s i, Helene Katz long after November 1938 possessed approval from a party office to teach the emigrating photography and to impart the skill (or proficiency) in this (see earlier report).

For this reason she was free from surveillance and was also able to dispose freely of her possessions. She terminated her lease as primary tenant for her studio on April 30,1939, and cleaned it out according to the rules. She turned it over to the landlord without arrears. 

Fraulein Katz owned one or two cameras, accessories, and only the most necessary furnishings of minimal worth. 

The landlord was never instructed of any administrative hold. 

Accordingly a liquidation could not be carried out.

                                                                                                H e i l  H i t l e r!
                                                                                                                       [ Jungwirth ]

Pg (=party member) Franz Jungwirth
Liquidator, appointed on the basis of
the Decree of 23 November 1938 
Responsible for the country of Austria 618/1938 
Vienna 107, Elterleinplatz 6/23 
telephone: U 52 309

Fotografie 

http://www.artnet.com/Artists/LotDetailPage.aspx?lot_id=FD7FEFAACE918807ED8726D460CA0C7B
Artist   Hella Katz
Title   Thea von Uyy 
Medium   gelatin silver print 
Size   9.1 x 5.4 in. / 23 x 13.7 cm.
Year   1928 - 
Misc.   Stamped
Sale Of   Dorotheum: Tuesday, May 9, 2006
[Lot 61]

http://www.autographauctions.co.uk/bidcat/detail.asp?SaleRef=0005&LotRef=410#

LEHAR FRANZ: (1870-1948) Austro-Hungarian Composer.
Vintage signed and inscribed sepia postcard photograph of Lehar
in a head and shoulders pose.
Photograph by Hella Katz.
Signed in bold dark fountain pen ink to the lower white border and
inscribed to Emil Juel-Frederiksen. Dated 22nd July 1929.

The PERUTZ girls in Vienna at Chanukah
(Estimated Dcember 1934)
THe PERUTZ family are thought to have been personal friends of Hella)

Do you recognize any of the names?

Can you guide us in any way?

If you have no information, do you know of anyone else, anywhere, where we can ask?

please e-mail me at davidlewin [at ] btinternet [dot] com