Bertha Valerius

Aurora Valeria Albertina Bertha Valerius (21 January 1824, Stockholm – 24 March 1895, Stockholm), was a Swedish photographer and painter.

Bertha Valerius was born to Johan David Valerius, member of the Swedish Academy, and Kristina Aurora Ingell, and the sister of the singer and painter Baroness Adelaïde Leuhusen.

She studied art at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts and later in Düsseldorf, Dresden and Paris. Upon her return, she entered a career as a portrait painter. She accompanied the student of her sister, Kristina Nilsson, to Paris as chaperon in 1860. During her second stay in Paris, she studied the art of photography, and upon her return, she opened her own photographic studio in Stockholm. In 1863, she was regarded as one of the most notable photographers in Stockholm.

In 1864 she was appointed official portrait artist of the royal court. She was awarded at the exhibition in Kungsträdgården in 1866. In 1880, she closed her photographic studio and left it to her colleague, the photographer Selma Jacobsson, who was, in 1899, also appointed royal photographer. After 1880, Bertha Valerius devoted herself exclusively to paintings, where she was also successful.

Bertha Valerius is represented at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts, Uppsala Universitetsbibliotek, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Linköpings museum.

References

• Idun, nr 15, 1895
• Svenskt konstnärslexikon, del V, s 572, Allhems Förlag AB, 1953, Malmö.
• Dahlman, Eva: Kvinnliga pionjärer, osynliga i fotohistorien
• Du Rietz, Anita, Kvinnors entreprenörskap: under 400 år, 1. uppl., Dialogos, Stockholm, 2013