Camilla "Ylla" Koffler ( hu, Koffler Kamilla; 16 August 1911 – 30 March 1955) was a Hungarian photographer who specialized in animal photography. At the time of her death she "was generally considered the most proficient animal photographer in the world."

Biography

Koffler was born in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria, to a

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

father and

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

n mother, both Hungarian nationals. At age eight, she was placed in a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

boarding school in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. In 1926, the teenage Koffler joined her mother in

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

, where she studied sculpture with

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Yugoslav sculptor

Petar Pallavicini Petar ( sr, Петар, bg, Петър) is a South Slavic masculine given name, their variant of the Biblical name Petros cognate to Peter. Derivative forms include Pero, Pejo, Pera, Perica, Petrica, Periša. Feminine equivalent is Petra. ...

at the Academy of Fine Arts; finding that her given name Camilla was the same as the Serbian for "camel" (, ), she changed it to "Ylla" (pronounced ee-la). In 1929, Ylla received a commission for a bas-relief sculpture for a Belgrade movie theater. By 1931, she had moved to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, where she studied sculpture at the Académie Colarossi and worked as photo retoucher and assistant to photographer

Ergy Landau Ergy or Erzsy Landau (1896–1967) was a Hungarian-French humanist photographer. Born in Budapest, Landau worked in Franz Xaver Setzer's Vienna studio and then in Rudolf Dührkoop's studio in Berlin. She had photographed the German writer Thom ...

. In 1932, Ylla began photographing animals, exhibited her work at Galerie de La Pléiade, and opened a studio to photograph pets. In 1933, she was introduced to

Charles Rado The Rapho agency was founded in Paris in 1933 by Charles Rado (1899–1970), a Hungarian immigrant. Rapho, an acronym formed from Rado-Photo, is one of the oldest press agencies specializing in humanist photography.Michèle and Michel Auer, ''Photog ...

and became a founding member of the RAPHO press agency. In 1940, New York's

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

submitted her name to the

U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

requesting an entry visa; she immigrated to the United States in 1941. In 1952, Ylla traveled to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, and in 1954 she visited

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

for the first time. In 1953, en route with her mother to Cape Cod by plane, the plane ran out of fuel and crashed. Ylla, trapped under water, struggled to free herself and fainted upon reaching the surface. She was rescued by a fisherman, her mother drowned. Proceeds from wrongful death insurance helped pay for Ylla's journey through India the following year. In 1955, Ylla was fatally injured after falling from a jeep while photographing a

bullock cart A bullock cart or ox cart (sometimes called a bullock carriage when carrying people in particular) is a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle pulled by oxen. It is a means of transportation used since ancient times in many parts of the world. The ...

race during festivities in Bharatpur, North India. The last photographs she ever took were published in the November 14, 1955 issue of ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

''.

Quotes and posthumous tributes

Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century modern synthesis. ...

: Harry Phillips, Publisher of ''Sports Illustrated'':

Movie ''Hatari!'' Character Based on Ylla

Her life work of photographing animals inspired famous movie director and producer,

Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...

, so much that he had his script writer,

Leigh Brackett Leigh Douglass Brackett (December 7, 1915 – March 18, 1978) was an American science fiction writer known as "the Queen of Space Opera." She was also a screenwriter, known for ''The Big Sleep'' (1946), '' Rio Bravo'' (1959), and '' The Long Goo ...

, change the script to create one of the main characters based on Ylla for his blockbuster movie, ''

Hatari! ''Hatari!'' (, Swahili for "Danger!") is a 1962 American adventure romantic comedy film starring John Wayne as the leader of a group of professional game catchers in Africa.McCarthy, Todd. ''Howard Hawks: the grey fox of Hollywood'', New York, ...

,'' starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

. Hawks said, "We took that part of the story from a real character, a German girl. She was the best animal photographer in the world." The movie character Anna Maria "Dallas" D’Alessandro is a photographer working for a zoo and was played by actress

Elsa Martinelli Elsa Martinelli (born Elisa Tia; 30 January 1935 – 8 July 2017) was an Italian actress and fashion model. Life and career Born Elisa Tia in Grosseto, Tuscany, she moved to Rome with her family. In 1953, she was discovered by Roberto Capu ...

.Thomas McIntyre, May/June 2012, “Fifty Years of HATARI! – The Story of Most Expensive Safari In the World”, Sports Afield, pg 70

Selected bibliography

*1937 ''Chiens par Ylla/Ylla's Dog Fancies'',

Jules Supervielle Jules Supervielle (16 January 1884 – 17 May 1960) was a Franco-Uruguayan poet and writer born in Montevideo. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature three times. He opposed the surrealism movement in poetry and rejected automatic wri ...

(Paris: Editions OET/London: Methuen Publishers) *1937 ''Chats par Ylla'',

Paul Léautaud Paul Léautaud (18 January 1872 – 22 February 1956) was a French writer and theater critic for ''Mercure de France'', signing his often caustic reviews with the pseudonym Maurice Boissard. Life He was born in Paris. Abandoned by his mother, ...

(Paris: Editions OET) *1938 ''Animal Language'',

(includes recordings of animal calls) (London: Country Life Press; New York: Grosset & Dunlop; 2nd ed. 1964) *1944 ''They All Saw It'',

Margaret Wise Brown Margaret Wise Brown (May 23, 1910 – November 13, 1952) was an American writer of children's books, including ''Goodnight Moon'' and ''The Runaway Bunny'', both illustrated by Clement Hurd. She has been called "the laureate of the nursery" for ...

(New York: Harper & Brothers) *1947 ''The Sleepy Little Lion'',

(New York: Harper & Brothers) *1947 ''Le Petit Lion'',

Jacques Prévert Jacques Prévert (; 4 February 1900 – 11 April 1977) was a French poet and screenwriter. His poems became and remain popular in the French-speaking world, particularly in schools. His best-regarded films formed part of the poetic realist moveme ...

(Paris: Arts et Métiers Graphiques) *1950 ''Tico-Tico'', Niccolo Tucci (New York: Harper & Brothers); 1952:

Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes (June 19, 1884 – July 9, 1974) was a French writer and artist associated with the Dada movement. He was born in Montpellier and died in Saint-Jeannet. In addition to numerous early paintings, Ribemont-Dessaignes wro ...

(Paris: Libraire Gallimard) *1950 ''O Said the Squirrel'',

(London: Harvill Press) *1950 ''Des Bêtes...'',

(Lausanne: Edition Jean Marguerat; Paris: Libraire Gallimard) *1950 ''Animals'',

(New York: Hastings House; London: Harvill Press) *1952 ''The Duck'',

(New York: Harper & Brothers; London: Harvill Press) *1953 ''Animals in Africa'', L.S.B. Leakey (New York: Harper & Brothers; London: Harvill Press; Paris:

Robert Delpire Robert Delpire (24 January 1926 – 26 September 2017) was an art Publishing, publisher, Editing, editor, curator, film producer and graphic designer who lived and worked in Paris. He predominantly concerned himself with documentary photography, ...

/Revue Neuf; Hamburg: Christian Wegner) *1956 ''Twee kleine beertjes = Deux petits ours'', Paulette Falconnet (Brussel ; Amsterdam : Elsevier) *1958 ''Animals in India'' (Lausanne: La Guilde du Livre/Clairefontaine; New York: Harper & Brothers)

Notes

References

Beaumont Newhall Beaumont Newhall (June 22, 1908 – February 26, 1993) was an American curator, art historian, writer, photographer, and the second director of the George Eastman Museum. His book ''The History of Photography'' remains one of the most signific ...

: ''Photography 1839-1937'' (Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1937) *

John Szarkowski Thaddeus John Szarkowski (December 18, 1925 – July 7, 2007) was an American photographer, curator, historian, and critic. From 1962 to 1991 Szarkowski was the director of photography at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Early life and ca ...

: ''The Photographer’s Eye'' (Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1966) *“Charles Rado, 71, of Photo Agency; Developed Popular Books from Ylla's Portfolio”, ''New York Times'', October 5, 1970. (Obituary) *''Ylla'' (Musée Nicéphore Niépce, Chalon-sur-Saône, 1983) *''The Animal in Photography 1843-1985'', ed. Alexandra Noble (The Photographers’ Gallery, London, 1986) *''Les Femmes Photographes de la Nouvelle Vision en France 1920-1940'', Christian Bouqueret (Editions Marval, Paris, 1998) *''1000 Dogs'', ed. Raymond Merritt & Miles Barth (Taschen, Cologne, 2002)

External links

Biography, including a complete bibliography, examples of her portraits, and portraits of Ylla
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ylla 1911 births 1955 deaths Hungarian photographers Nature photographers Hungarian women artists Hungarian people of Romanian descent Académie Colarossi alumni Hungarian women photographers 20th-century women photographers Hungarian people of Croatian descent Photographers from Vienna