Ylla

The life of Ylla, one of the first animal photographers.

Ylla (1911–55) 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. Ylla: The Birth of Modern Animal Photography tells Ylla’s exciting life. Known as fearless, she was part of artists’ circles in Belgrade and Paris, and during WWII she fled via Marseille to New York where she started her career again from scratch. Originally taking photos in her studio and zoos, she finally traveled to Africa and India where she died in a tragic accident during a water buffalo race. Her book, Animals in Africa, was 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. This book tells her remarkable story.