The photographer Marianne Strobl received her first major commission in 1894. She documented 90 wagons that were displayed between 20 April and 1 July 1894 at the Rotunde in Vienna during the ‘International Exhibition on Public Nutrition, Army Catering, Rescue Services, and Means of Transport’, organized by the Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Knowledge. The albumen prints, mounted on decorative cardboard, were presented in a portfolio together with a comprehensive special catalogue compiled by Étienne and Constantin Hagyi Ristić, which detailed the construction, purpose, usefulness, and number of all vehicles exhibited. The catalogue and photographs attracted particular interest from the military authorities, who considered their potential relevance in case of mobilization. The photographs are remarkable for their documentary character: the wagons were placed against neutral backdrops, a measuring scale was positioned on the ground between the front and rear wheels, and several wagons were photographed tilted to the side, revealing the construction of the undercarriage.
But who was Marianne Strobl?
Marianne Strobl was born as Marie Nentwich on 24 February 1865 in Würbenthal, Austrian Silesia. In 1891, she married Josef Strobl, a surveying technician and member of the exclusive Club of Viennese Amateur Photographers. It is likely through her husband that she gained access to the club and was able to acquire the necessary skills in camera techniques and darkroom work. At that time, women were not permitted to attend the newly founded Imperial and Royal Institute for Photography and Reproduction Techniques in Vienna (est. 1888) until 1908.
In 1894, Strobl officially registered her photography business at Müllnergasse 33 in Vienna’s 9th district. In 1896, she moved her studio to the 2nd district, and from 1897 operated under the name ‘Art Institute for Photography’ at Halmgasse 3. By 1905, she had become a member of the Viennese Photographers’ Guild.
Strobl lived during a period defined by technological and industrial progress: the expansion of the railway network, the construction of factories, bridges, canals, and iron structures. From the outset, she specialized in the documentation of such projects, focusing on urban development and industrial facilities. Photographing large construction sites at the time required operating a wooden large-format camera with a tripod and heavy glass plates in often difficult terrain, while also directing predominantly male workers on-site. This specialization became Strobl’s strategic advantage in the highly competitive Viennese photography market. Her company stamp identified her as an ‘Industrial Photographer’, and she signed most of her works with ‘M. Strobl’, usually in red ink.
Strobl also became known as an expert in flash photography. In 1901, she accompanied an expedition to the Ötscher Caves in Lower Austria alongside her husband, who carried out geodetic surveys. The resulting images offered unprecedented views of the mountain’s interior.
Strobl’s photographs were published and distributed in portfolios, company catalogues, professional journals, and as postcards – for example, depicting ships of the First Danube Steamship Company (DDSG). She is regarded as the first industrial photographer of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, recognized for her precise execution, technical brilliance, and remarkable depth of field.
Marianne Strobl died on 13 February 1917 in Vienna.
The portfolio ‘Types of Regional Wagons of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy from the International Exhibition on Public Nutrition, Army Catering, Rescue Services, and Means of Transport’, held in the Photographic Collection of the Volkskundemuseum Wien, can be explored here.
Elisabeth Egger