Hofatelier Elvira
The Hofatelier Elvira was a photography studio in Munich. It was started in 1887 by Anita Augspurg, a lawyer and actress, and her friend photographer Sophia Goudstikker. It is known as the first company in Germany founded by women. There was also a branch in Augsburg from 1891. The studio became famous for its work in the feminist movement.
The new studio building at Von-der-Tann-Strasse 15, built in 1898, was a notable Art Nouveau structure. The façade was designed by architect August Endell between 1896 and 1898. Endell’s plans were licensed in April 1898 with a note calling them a “mockery of drawing art.” The façade showed red and golden dragon-like stucco on a green background and was often criticized. People called the building the “Octopus Rococo,” the “dragon’s castle,” or the “Chinese embassy.” The building was a meeting place for artists from the start.
Soon after it was finished, the founders’ paths split. In 1907, Augspurg sold her share to Goudstikker, who later leased the studio to the young photographer Emma Uibleisen. After World War I, many traditional clients disappeared. When Uibleisen died in 1928 there was no successor.
In autumn 1933, a unit of Hitler’s SA was stationed in the building. Later, as the street was redeveloped to give access to the Haus der Kunst, the building was used as a temporary canteen for construction workers. In 1937 the dragon ornament was removed, and the building was planned for demolition to make way for an arcade that could not be built during World War II. During the Allied bombing in April 1944 the building was badly damaged. After the war the state of Bavaria took over the premises and then gave it to the United States for its new Consulate General in Munich.
The studio produced several significant photographs.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:09 (CET).