We mourn the photographer and documentary filmmaker Mary Else Tholstrup, a former student of the Institute of Design in Chicago. Born in Casablanca on 27 June 1929, the Danish artist passed away on 12 March 2024 at the age of 95.

Else Tholstrup was close friends with Ati Forberg (daughter of Walter and Ise Gropius) and her husband Charles, as well as other renowned figures associated with the Chicago Institute of Design and the Ulm School of Design. Over the years she maintained close ties to the architecture, photography and film scenes. This was especially evident in her photos, in which she regularly documented the lives and achievements of her large circle of friends and acquaintances.

In 2015 and 2016, Else Tholstrup donated an extensive collection of negatives and photographs to the Bauhaus-Archiv as a living legacy, all of which were produced during her time in Chicago and on private trips. We fondly remember her wonderful sense of humour and sunny disposition. Her work represents a valuable and treasured addition to our collection which not only documents the teaching activities at the “American Bauhaus” and the spread of Neues Sehen, but also captures the lifestyle of the 1950s.