Ylla: The Birth of Modern Animal Photography

Ylla (1911–1955) devoted herself exclusively to animal portraiture at a time when nobody had thought of only photographing animals. She created something new – the genre of expression and personality in animals. This is the story of a “New Woman” par excellence, Ylla was fearless and knew no limits, and of a pioneer animal photographer in Africa and India.

The book tells Ylla’s exciting life: She was part of artists’ circles in Belgrade and Paris, during WWII she fled via Marseille to New York where she started her career again from scratch. Originally taking photos in her studio and in zoos she finally traveled to Africa and India where she died in a tragic accident during a water buffalo race. Her Animals in Africa is one of the first books on the subject.

Ylla also introduced photography to children’s literature. Her books The Sleepy Little Lion and Two little bears are juvenile classics.