Paulina Mongird

Paulina Mongird (Lithuanian: Paulina Mongirdaitė; 1865 – November 5, 1924) was the first professional female photographer in Lithuania.[1]

Early life

Paulina Mongird was born in 1865 into a noble family in Raseiniai County, then part of the Kovno Governorate in the Russian Empire. Her parents were Mieczysław and Zofia Mongird (née Hryszkiewicz). She had a brother Jan (1858-unknown) and sister, Zofia (1860-1912).[2]

Around 1885, the Mongird family moved to Palanga in the Courland Governorate after selling their estate. They acquired property on Memel Street 7 (now Vytautas Street), which included the Tuchanovicz villa.

Mongird was well-educated, graduating from Henryka Czarnocka’s Private Girls' Boarding School in Warsaw between 1880 and 1886.[3] She spoke Lithuanian and Polish fluently, had proficiency in Russian and French, and was talented in drawing. Her interest in photography led her to take a few classes in Warsaw, after which she developed her expertise independently through practical work and experience.[4]

Career

Priest Felicijonas Juškevičius with his sister, 1888

Mongird began her photographic career around 1888, using equipment she acquired from Warsaw. In 1892, she opened a photography studio in Palanga after receiving official permission from the general governor. Her studio operated until her death in 1924. Her early works bore labels such as "Fotografia P. Mongird Polangen" (in Cyrillic) or "Wadwicz Mongird Polangen" (in Polish).[5]

Mongird was the first professional photographer to capture the architecture, landscapes, and daily activities in the towns of Palanga, Kretinga, and Gargždai. Her portraits often featured meticulously composed backdrops, such as seascapes, and were popular with visitors to Palanga.Her portraits became especially popular among tourists seeking to preserve memories of their visits.

She documented Palanga’s landscapes, the Baltic coastline, and local life. Her work was sold to tourists and published in newspapers. In addition to her work in Palanga, she produced postcards featuring scenes from Kretinga and the Russian-German border.

Notable works

Mongird's photographic works include:

Birutė Hill, Palanga, late 19th c.

Her photographs were frequently reproduced in promotional publications about Palanga, as well as in Lithuanian and Polish newspapers and albums published abroad. Between 1899 and 1924, Mongird created postcards depicting notable sites, such as manors in Palanga, Kretinga, and Vaitkuškis, along with portraits of Lithuanian grand dukes. Her early postcards were lithographed, while later ones combined photographic and graphic elements.

Her talents were recognized by the Tyszkiewicz counts, prominent patrons who invited her to photograph family members and commissioned her to create albums documenting the manor estates in Palanga and Kretinga.

In 1911, she won a silver medal at a photography exhibition in Lviv.[9]

One of her works, "Birutė Hill in Palanga", is preserved in the Historical Collections of Vilnius University Library and included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World project.[10][11]

Selected exhibitions and documentaries

Exhibitions

  • 2012, Poland, Sopot: Photographs by Paulina Mongird were featured in the exhibition "The Tyszkiewicz Palanga: A Baltic Resort at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Century" at the Sopot Museum.[12]
  • 2020, Lithuania, Vilnius: Virtual Exhibitions: "Paulina Mongirdaitė. Photography Exhibition" by Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.[13]
  • Palanga old pier, 1922
    2024, Lithuania, Palanga: Exhibition "A Woman with a Camera at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Century".[14]
  • 2024, Lithuania, Palanga: Exhibition "In Focus: The Tyszkiewicz Counts' Palanga, Paulina Mongirdaitė, 19th–20th Century Photography".[15]

Documentaries

  • 2017, Lithuania: A documentary „Vyrų šešėlyje [In the Shadow of Men]. Paulina Mongirdaitė" (Director Justinas Lingys) was aired, highlighting her contributions to photography.[16]
  • 2020, Lithuania: Documentary from the series "Forgotten Names in Photography" (Director Justinas Lingys) featured Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus, drawing renewed attention to their works.[17]

Personal life and legacy

Mongird's self-portrait, early 20th c.

Mongird never married and supported her family, including her mother, sister, and two nieces, while living in Palanga. Her niece Janina Wrotnowska (née Walicka) described Mongird’s life in her memoirs, excerpts of which appear in The First Photographers of the Coast: Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus by Jolanta Klietkutė. Another niece, Nora Bucewicz (née Walicka), was a writer who incorporated Mongird's photographs into her publications.

Paulina Mongird passed away on November 5, 1924, and was buried in Palanga’s old cemetery near the chapel. Her grave is no longer identifiable.[18]

Her contributions to Lithuanian photography paved the way for future generations of photographers, particularly women.

Photographer and writer Jolanta Klietkutė has played a key role in reviving Mongird’s legacy through her research and publications.

Further reading

  • Klietkutė, Jolanta (2015). Pirmieji pajūrio fotografai: Paulina Mongirdaitė, Ignas Stropus [The First Photographers of the Coast: Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus]. Vilnius Academy of Arts Press. ISBN 978-609-95754-0-7.
  • Omilanowska, Małgorzata (2011). Nadbałtyckie Zakopane - Połąga w czasach Tyszkiewiczów [Zakopane on the Baltic Sea: Palanga in the Times of the Tyszkiewiczs]. Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences. ISBN 9788389101006

References

  1. ^ Kanarskas, Julius (9 June 2015). "Counts Tiškevičiai in the Photographic Collections of the Kretinga Museum (Lithuania)". Uncommon Culture. 5 (9/10): 115 – via Journals@UIC.
  2. ^ Klietkutė, Jolanta (2019-12-20). "Genealogy of Mongirdai Nobility". Bibliotheca Lituana. 6: 121–147. doi:10.15388/BiblLita.2018.VI.8. ISSN 2424-4422 – via Database Lituanistika.
  3. ^ "Państwowe Gimnazjum i Liceum Żeńskie im. Juliusza Słowackiego w Warszawie" [Juliusz Słowacki Public Girls' Secondary School and High School in Warsaw]. szukajwarchiwach.gov.pl. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  4. ^ Klietkute, Jolanta (2015). Pirmieji pajūrio fotografai: Paulina Mongirdaitė, Ignas Stropus [The first coastal photographers: Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus]. Vilnius Academy of Arts Press. pp. 59, 65. ISBN 978-609-95754-0-7.
  5. ^ Kanarskas, Julius (2000). "Kretingos muziejus: Fotografė Paulina Mongirdaitė" [Kretinga Museum: Photographer Paulina Mongirdaitė]. LIMIS, Lithuanian Integral Museum Information System. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Digital Repository". The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  7. ^ Klietkutė, Jolanta (27 July 2018). "Paulina Mongirdaitė Lithuania's First Woman Photographer". DRAUGAS NEWS. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Zakład Fotograficzny Pauliny Mongird. Polonga / Atelier de Pauline Mongird. S.l: s.n., 1916. Print". National Library of Poland. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  9. ^ Omilanowska, Małgorzata (2011). Nadbałtyckie Zakopane - Połąga w czasach Tyszkiewiczów [Zakopane on the Baltic Sea: Palanga in the times of the Tyszkiewiczs]. Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences. p. 211. ISBN 9788389101006.
  10. ^ "P. Mongird Palanga. Birutės kalno vaizdas nuo miško". UNESCO; Vilnius university library. 1998. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  11. ^ Historical collections of the Vilnius university library, CD (CD) (Memory of the World ed.). Vilnius university library : UNESCO. 1998. ISBN 998692040X.
  12. ^ "Połąga Tyszkiewiczów. Kąpielisko bałtyckie na przełomie XIX i XX wieku" [The Tyszkiewicz Palanga: A Baltic Resort at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Century]. Gazeta Bałtycka. 19 June 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Paulina Mongirdaitė Photography exhibition". Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. Virtual Exhibitions. 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Moteris su kamera XIX a. pab. – XX a. pr" [A Woman with a Camera at the End of the 19th – Beginning of the 20th Century]. Jonas Šliūpas museum, National Museum of Lithuania. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  15. ^ "Objektyve grafų Tiškevičių Palanga, Paulina Mongirdaitė, XIX a. - XX a. fotografija" [In Focus: The Tyszkiewicz Counts' Palanga, Paulina Mongirdaitė, 19th–20th Century Photography]. Palanga Resort Museum. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  16. ^ "Tarp konkurso „Pragiedruliai" laureatų – ir LRT laidų kūrėjai" [Among the Winners of the "Pragiedruliai" Competition – LRT Program Creators]. Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  17. ^ "Pamiršti vardai fotografijoje: Paulina Mongirdaitė ir Ignas Stropus" [Forgotten Names in Photography: Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus]. The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences on Youtube platform. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  18. ^ Klietkutė, Jolanta (12 November 2014). "Paulina Mongirdaitė – fotografė, kurios gyvenimą gaubia paslaptis" [Paulina Mongirdaitė – A Photographer Whose Life is Shrouded in Mystery]. Bernardinai.lt. Retrieved 18 December 2024.