Hedvig Charlotta Söderström (1830–1914) was a Swedish photographer. She was born to the janitor Carl Johan Söderström and Hedvig Christina Möller 1793. She was given some artistic instruction, and gave lessons to women in drawing in 1853–1854. She is known as the first woman to open a

photographic studio A photographic studio is often a business owned and represented by one or more photographers, possibly accompanied by assistants and pupils, who create and sell their own and sometimes others’ photographs. History Since the early years of th ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, in 1857. She was long referred to as the first professional female photographer in Sweden, but this distinction actually belongs to

Brita Sofia Hesselius Brita Sofia Hesselius (1801–1866) was a Swedish daguerreotype photographer. She was likely the first professional female photographer of her country. Hesselius was born in Alster parish in the Karlstad Municipality as the daughter of Olof ...

. Her studio closed in 1862 at the latest, since it was by then registered under the name of a male colleague. The same year, 1862, she is registered to be living with her brother, who was a merchant. She lived with her brother for five years, but after 1869, she is registered in the profession of an "artist". She was also active as a draughtswoman, an illustrator and a painter. She participated with oil paintings in the exhibitions of

Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...

of 1856 and 1873. She is represented at the

Nationalmuseum Nationalmuseum is the List of national galleries, national gallery of fine arts of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm. The museum's operations stretch far beyond the borders of Blasieholmen, including the Natio ...

with a drawn portrait of a lady.Nationalmuseum
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Söderström, Hedvig 1830 births 1914 deaths 19th-century Swedish photographers Pioneers of photography 19th-century Swedish women photographers 19th-century Swedish painters Draughtswomen 19th-century Swedish women painters