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Ella Maillart

@ellamaillart.bsky.social

It is always our own Self that we find at the end of the journey. The sooner we face that Self, the better.

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Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 14h ago

Over 40 years after representing Switzerland at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Ella Maillart contributed this essay to the Ladies' Ski Club Bulletin, 1977 ... 👇🏼 #Photography #Switzerland #Adventure #Skiing #EllaMaillart #British #LadiesSkiClub #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Historic copies of the Ladies' Ski Club bulletin are publicly available at https://www.ladiesskiclub.org/historic-copies-of-the-bulletin

The first Alpine Ski Club founded by Arnold Lunn in 1908 had denied membership to women. At his suggestion, the Ladies' Ski Club was established in 1923 in Mürren, Switzerland, contrary to suggestions that his purpose was actually to dissuade women from joining the Alpine Club.

In 1929 a letter was received inviting the British to send skiers to compete in an event in Poland. The organisers in Zakopane were surprised to find that the British team included LSC founder members Doreen Elliott and Audrey Sale-Barker as the only races they were qualified to race were designated as for men only. The ladies were allowed to join the skiers on the condition that they could not win prizes.

Today, the LSC supports British female snowsports competitors, encourages women in skiing and builds international fellowship.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2d ago

Ella Maillart represented Switzerland at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Mürren (1931), Cortina d'Ampezzo (1932), Innsbruck (1933) and St. Moritz (1934). #Photography #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #EllaMaillart #AlexWalterDiggelmann #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Alex Walter Diggelmann, Mürren, Die Renntage der Kanonen, Farblithographie, 128 x 90 cm.

This poster was produced in 1931 to advertise the first FIS Alpine World Ski Championships from 19-22 February. It consisted of just four events, downhill and slalom for men and women. Australia, Austria, Germany, Britain, Italy and Switzerland participated in the competition.

The poster also promoted the fourth Arlberg-Kandahar race (better known now as ‘The Inferno Downhill’) on March 15-16. The race was started in 1928 by a group of ski-crazed daredevil Brits who bravely tackled the dangerous and treacherous run, unpisted and with no gates, no helmets, special clothing, no spectators or judges. The 17 Kandahar members simply climbed to the summit of the Schilthorn over two days, before setting off in a mass start for the race to Lauterbrunnen in the valley bottom.

The Kandahar Ski Club was started in 1924 by Sir Arnold Lunn and some fellow British skiers at the Palace Hotel in Murren to raise the standard of downhill and slalom skiing and secure international recognition for the sports. He had already founded the Alpine Ski Club in 1908 and the Ladies Ski Club in 1923.

The expressionistic Art Deco piece used a dynamic diagonal composition to convey raw speed and movement. The skier was captured mid-turn, crouching deeply and leaning forcefully against a steep white slope, weaving rapidly between red slalom gates. The cool blue typography balanced with the stark white snow and vibrant red accent flags made it highly sought after by collectors of vintage alpine art.

Dev Gogoi @devgogoi.bsky.social · 2d ago

Après much longed-for afternoon showers, subtle sunset hues in the lee of #Arunachala 🏜️

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3d ago

"The only way to meet every year the expense of four months of skiing was to send to the press accounts of the races in which my compatriots and I took part." #Photography #Monochrome #Switzerland #Travel #Adventure #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #ECK

Ella Maillart at a ski race in Switzerland holding what appears to be a small notebook. She appears focused, wearing a vintage-style visor, a hooded jacket and a specialised neck covering.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 4d ago

Ella Maillart and Rösli Streiff (right) at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, 1932. Rosli won gold medals in both the slalom and combined events. #Photography #Switzerland #Alpine #Skiing #EllaMaillart #RosliStreiff #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #ECK

Rosli Streiff began competing in ski races in 1928 and, along with Ella Maillart, became a founding member of the Swiss Ladies Ski Club (SDS) in 1929, working to organise and promote women's competitive skiing in Switzerland.

In this photo they were wearing simple woollen jerseys with Swiss cross badges and holding traditional wooden ski poles.

Rosli reached the peak of her career in early February 1932 when she won two gold medals at the World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, winning the slalom event and the combined. She first finished eighth in the downhill and the next day became world champion in the slalom, beating Britain's Audrey Sale-Barker by more than ten seconds, securing her the world title in the combined event.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 5d ago

'Getting Ready To Work In The Early Morning', Ski-Hütte Schwendi Restaurant, Conters im Prättigau, Switzerland. "It was a grand life, illumined by the legendary deeds of my companions, the world's best skiers." #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Skiers dressed in historical winter gear, with wooden skis and poles scattered in the snow are gathered outside the Ski-Hütte Schwendi Restaurant (known today as Berghaus Alte Schwendi).

Set against a snowy mountain landscape, it has served as a mountain hut and restaurant catering to skiers and winter travellers. Initially used as a traditional seasonal alpine farmhouse (Maiensäss), the structure was first utilised as a guest house and ski hut in 1925.

"I was a member of the international Swiss team four years running, at Murren, in Italy and Austria, and at St Moritz." - Cruises and Caravans, The Glory Of Ski-ing

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 6d ago

Ella Maillart competing for Switzerland in the inaugural FIS Alpine World Ski Championships held at Mürren in 1931, where she achieved placings in the midfield. #Photography #Switzerland #Murren #Alpine #Skiing #SkiChampionship #FIS #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

The historic competition originated from 19 to 23 February 1931 at Mürren, Switzerland and featured only two core disciplines for both men and women: downhill and slalom. There were around 50 competitors from 7 nations.

The combined event debuted in 1932, the giant slalom in 1950, super-G in 1987 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and team formats—including the nations' team event in 2005 and parallel giant slalom in 2021—were added to promote inclusivity and tactical variety.

Regarded as the second-most prestigious alpine skiing competition after the Olympic Winter Games, the championships have produced legendary athletes and iconic moments, influencing the sport's rules, equipment, and popularity.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 7d ago

Ski poster designed by André Lecomte for the inaugural FIS Alpine World Ski Championships held at Mürren in 1931. Ella Maillart competed in both the downhill and slalom races. #Photography #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #AndreLecomte #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Created by the Swiss designer André Le Comte in 1931, it promoted the alpine resort of Mürren around the arrival of the premier Kandahar Races which heavily advanced the global prestige of alpine down-hill racing.

The Art Deco design featured a lone downhill skier plummeting down a steep slope amidst red slalom gates, backed by a dramatic, stylized rendering of the Swiss Alps resembling the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks.

André used pronounced light-to-dark contrasts and an airbrush technique to give the snow a soft, misty finish against the stark geometric slopes.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · last wk.

'Training the Swiss Ladies Team at Schwendi' (Ella in centre), 1930 "In spite of attacks of those who thought it foolish to turn girls into 'race-horses' instead of leaving them in the home and kitchen where they belong, we flourished." #Photography #EllaMaillart #Skiing #Switzerland #EastCoastKin

Eleven female skiers holding classic, long wooden skis and single-ring poles as they line up shoulder-to-shoulder during a winter mountain excursion. David Zogg as coach on the far right.

Left to Right: Keller, Baumberger, Kneuble, Schaad, Friedrich, Maillart, Rüegg, Zogg, Vetter, Osirnig, Saratz, Steuri.

This highlighted a pivotal era in winter sports fashion where women transitioned from heavy woolen skirts to more functional, high-waisted trousers and knit sweaters.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · last wk.

"And is it not one of the most enjoyable of games ... where you do not depend upon engine, animal or boat, but solely upon your mind and muscle and polished skis that take you skimming down mountains sparkling with sun?" #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

A vintage black-and-white photograph of Ella Maillart from the set of Winter (1929), dressed in high-waisted woolen trousers, a tucked-in long-sleeved button-up shirt, a tie, and leather boots attached to single-piece wooden skis without safety bindings and holding long wooden ski poles.

Structured collared shirts, neckties and heavy woollen sweaters or jackets were worn in this era to combat the alpine chill while maintaining a formal, tailored silhouette.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · last wk.

"If I have never done anything consistently in my life so far, I believe skiing is to blame." - 'Cruises and Caravans', Ella Maillart. #Photography #Cinema #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #GottliebMichel #PeggyBonny #GeaAugsburg #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Ella Maillart and Peggy Bonny in 'Winter', a Jean-M. Aymar/Jean Lordier ski film in Mürren, Switzerland, 1929.

In 1929, Ella Maillart featured in 'Winter', a Jean-M. Aymar/Jean Lordier ski film in Mürren alongside Gottlieb Michel and Peggy Bonny, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0095101/, an early 20th-century French-language actress who starred in a number of classic films like L'agence matrimoniale (1931) and Fromont jeune et Risler aîné (1941).

Winter, 1929 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337484/ - was a mountain action film produced by UFA in Berlin and shot against the alpine backdrop of Mürren, Switzerland. Ella Maillart served as an actress and performed daring ski stunts for the production.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ella Maillart, Peggy Bonny and Jean Lordier on the set of 'Winter', the silent ski film in Mürren, Switzerland, 1929. www.imdb.com/title/tt0337... #Photography #Cinema #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #GottliebMichel #JeanLordier #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

In 1929, Ella Maillart served as an actress and performed daring ski stunts alongside Gottlieb Michel and Peggy Bonny for 'Winter', a Jean-M. Aymar/Jean Lordier film. She was often credited as "Kini Maillard" in early filmographies.

Winter, 1929 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337484/ - was a mountain action film produced by UFA in Berlin and shot against the alpine backdrop of Mürren, Switzerland.

Jean Lordier was a French cinematographer who co-directed and co-wrote the 1929 film Winter. In addition to his directorial work, he was involved in film journalism and industry advocacy, serving as editor-in-chief of the Swiss publication L'Effort cinégraphique.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2w ago

Line-drawing of Ella Maillart by Géa Augsbourg, a Lausanne-based illustrator, caricaturist and painter, 1929. #Photography #Switzerland #Travel #Adventure #Skiing #Film #GeaAugsburg #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #ECK

Line drawing of Ella Maillart standing confidently with hands on hips, clad in wide-legged trousers, a collared white shirt and a stark red tie. She wears a small blue hat adorned with laurel or olive branch details behind her ears.

The upper inscription reads "Hip! Hip! Hurrah!" The note at the bottom right corner serves as a commemorative dedication: "En souvenir du 1er prix... 2 Février 1929. Félicitations, Gea" (In memory of the 1st prize... February 2, 1929. Congratulations, Gea).

In 1929, Ella Maillart featured in 'Winter', a Jean-M. Aymar/Jean Lordier ski film in Mürren alongside Gottlieb Michel and Peggy Bonny - Hiver (Winter), 1929 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337484/

Géa Augsbourg served as set designer, production manager and then actor alongside Ella Maillart in the film of which no footage survived except the title and a few production set photographs.

https://www.letemps.ch/culture/mille-une-vies-gea-augsbourg

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ella Maillart and Peggy Bonny in 'Winter', a Jean-M. Aymar/Jean Lordier ski film at Mürren, Switzerland, 1929. www.imdb.com/title/tt0337... #Photography #Cinema #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #GottliebMichel #PeggyBonny #GeaAugsburg #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

In 1929, Ella Maillart featured in 'Winter', a Jean-M. Aymar/Jean Lordier ski film in Mürren alongside Gottlieb Michel and Peggy Bonny.

Winter, 1929 - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337484/

This was a mountain action film produced by UFA in Berlin and shot against the alpine backdrop of Mürren, Switzerland. Ella Maillart served as an actress and performed daring ski stunts for the production.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ella Maillart, Jack Russell and Peggy Bonny on the set of 'Winter', the silent ski film in Mürren, Switzerland, 1929. www.imdb.com/title/tt0337... #Photography #Cinema #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #GottliebMichel #JeanLordier #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ella Maillart and Gottlieb Michel in 'Winter', a Jean-M. Aymar/Jean Lordier ski film in Mürren, Switzerland, 1929. www.imdb.com/title/tt0337... #Photography #Cinema #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #GottliebMichel #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #ECK

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2w ago

'Doreen Elliott, Winner of the Anglo-Swiss Ladies Downhill Race At Murren', Charles E. Brown, 1929 Ella Maillart was a very respectable fourth out of fourteen! #Photography #BlackAndWhite #Switzerland #Travel #Adventure #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #ECK

Doreen Elliott (1908–1966) skiing down a steep mountain slope using early wooden skis and classic long poles with prominent, wide basket wheels—essential for stability in the deep, un-groomed snow of the 1930s, and competing in tailored, heavy wool trousers and dark jacket.

A British skier, she was a co-founder of the Ladies' Ski Club in 1923 and rose to be its president from 1935-38.

In 1928, she had competed in the very first ‘Inferno’ race, finishing fourth despite spending 10 minutes climbing back up the slope to dig out a fellow racer after she fell, collecting her poles and generally looking after her.

Charles Brown had begun as a society photographer, gradually doing more and more work for the British Admiralty, Air Ministry and aircraft companies until this became his main work.

At a time when women were heavily excluded from mainstream sports, Maillart actively raced, skied, and toured across the Alps. She frequently credited her love for skiing as the primary catalyst for her famous life of nomadic travel.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ella Maillart, Anglo-Swiss Ladies Downhill Race, Murren, 1929 "After the race the British team entertained the Swiss ladies at a beer party, which wound up the day most pleasantly" - Ladies Ski Club Bulletin #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Ella Maillart is skiing in a classic style, demonstrating her skill and focus in the snow. She is in a crouched stance, wearing vintage attire including a dark hat, goggles and dark trousers.

The first women’s alpine skiing competition was held in Mürren, Switzerland in 1924, featuring slalom and downhill races. This marked a turning point for women in the sport, as it provided a platform for female athletes to showcase their skills. - https://www.alps2alps.com/blog/womens-alpine-skiing-history-and-highlights

Mürren is a beautiful traditional alpine mountain village in the Bernese Highlands of Switzerland. It is perched on the side of the majestic Schilthorn mountain and cannot be reached by road. Access is only possible by gondola or the cog-railway which was one of the first ski lifts in Europe. The village features mesmerising vistas of some of the most iconic mountains in the world, the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Mürren is one of the most popular tourist spots in Switzerland. While the village is beautiful all year round, it is during the summer and winter months when it really comes alive with tourists. It has a year-round population of just 450 people, but has 2,000 hotel beds!

As a member of the Swiss ski team, Ella Maillart represented Switzerland at the World Ski Championships in Mürren in 1931, Cortina d'Ampezzo (1932), Innsbruck (1933) and St. Moritz (1934).

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3w ago

The 17 participants - including 4 women - of the inaugural Kandahar Club 'Inferno' at Mürren in January 1928, the world's oldest and longest amateur downhill ski race. #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #Inferno #PhotographersOfBlueSky #SpeirGorm #SpéirGhorm #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

The 17 British competitors who climbed the Schilthorn before racing 15 km down to Lauterbrunnen. Organised by Sir Arnold Lunn and the members of the Kandahar Ski Club, this event was held on January 29, 1928.

Doreen Elliott, who was the fastest woman and won fourth place, is standing next to the winner, Harold Mitchell (5th from right), who completed the grueling, unpiste course in 1 hour and 12 minutes.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3w ago

In 1929, Ella Maillart became a co-founder of the Swiss Ladies' Ski Club in Mürren, Switzerland to challenge the male-dominated ski landscape and better compete against the British Ladies' Ski Club. #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

The Swiss Ladies' Ski Club / Schweizerische Damen-Skiclub (SDS) was founded in Mürren in 1929 after facing consecutive defeats in friendly duels against the British Ladies' Ski Club. Since women had little access to official ski races at that time, the founders created their own structured national organisation to improve their training and competitive edge.

Despite some initial opposition from conservative male groups, the SDS was integrated into the Swiss Ski Association shortly after its founding and went on to shape the development of women's alpine skiing worldwide.

Members quickly excelled at the highest levels. For instance, SDS member Rösli Streiff won slalom and combined gold titles at the 1932 World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Another club co-founder, Elsa Roth became the first woman elected to the board of the national Swiss Ski Association in 1934.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3w ago

Ella Maillart as a ski stunt double in Der Weisse Rausch, the iconic UFA mountain film directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Leni Riefenstahl. youtu.be/fQUPnrGVF5I (full movie) #Photography #Cinema #Switzerland #Murren #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Three skiers navigate a steep, snow-covered slope. The vertical appearance is a creative camera framing trick called a "Dutch tilt." By intentionally rotating the camera horizontally against the actual slope angle, the filmmaker made a manageable ski run look like a nearly impossible, sheer cliff.

Ella Maillart served as a ski stunt double and actress in Der Weisse Rausch (The White Ecstasy) 1931, an iconic UFA mountain film directed by Arnold Fanck and starring Leni Riefenstahl.

Der Weisse Rausch - https://youtu.be/fQUPnrGVF5I (full movie)

The film is about the skiing exploits of a young village girl (played by Riefenstahl), and her attempts to master the sport of skiing and ski-jumping. Filmed on location, it was one of the first to use and develop outdoor film-making techniques and featured several innovative action-skiing scenes.

A Weisse Rausch downhill race, based on the film, is held every April in St. Anton.

https://youtu.be/2spOf5BbbMU

https://youtu.be/J-XT9_jB65w

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3w ago

The Kandahar Ski Club was founded at Mürren in 1924 to promote downhill and slalom skiing, and to gain international recognition for alpine skiing. As an elite competitive skier, Ella Maillart became a full member in 1931. #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Swiss participants at the first Anglo-Swiss University Ski Race held in January 1925 in Mürren, Switzerland.

From left to right: Hermann Salvisberg, Walter Jordi (53), Werner Salvisberg (51), Walter Amstutz (52), Willy Richardet (54), Anton Escher (55).

The club's name was inspired by the first "Roberts of Kandahar Cup" in 1911, which consisted of skiing, ice skating, and sledding. Kandahar, Lord Roberts' epithet, commemorates a battle won by the British in the Afghan War of 1880. Enthusiasm for competitions grew, and many races were held in Mürren.

Building on this Mürren initiative, the FIS recognized the time trial as an alpine discipline in 1930, a cause that A. Lunn and W. Amstutz had championed.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3w ago

'Skis And Spring Snow', Ella Maillart "Worries were forgotten, letters unanswered without scruple, newspapers unread, the grey town life relegated to a far-away planet where it rained." #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #Mürren #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin #ECK

Stark wooden skis with mechanical cable bindings (likely Kandahar or similar style) engineered to secure leather ski boots rest flat on a snowy slope.

In the distance, tracks visible in the snow demonstrate early turning techniques, such as long, sweeping schussing or stem turns made on rigid wooden skis that were often 2 metres or longer.

A tall wooden guide pole or flag post stands prominently on the far left side, acting as a primitive navigational aid for tracking visibility in heavy winter conditions.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3w ago

Members of the Ladies' Ski Club (LSC) founded at Murren, Switzerland in 1923 to support women in a sport historically dominated by men. #Photography #Switzerland #Travel #Adventure #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Members of the Ladies' Ski Club (LSC) leaning together into a turn on a snow-covered slope, emphasising teamwork and synchronised movement, showing multiple skiers holding poles and mirroring each other's posture to maintain balance, and capturing the evolution of casual winter sportswear and classic wooden ski gear.

The first president, Lady Denman, was a supporter of women’s suffrage who went on to found the Women’s Institute, chair the first Family Planning Association and become the director of the Women’s Land Army during WWII.

Membership for the British-based Ladies' Ski Club (LSC) typically required a strong UK connection, specific racing credentials, and formal proposal/seconding by existing members.

Ella Maillart was heavily involved with both the British-based Ladies' Ski Club (frequently serving as an organiser and official for events like the Lady Mabel Lunn Challenge Cup) and the 1929 Swiss Ladies’ Ski Association (SDS).

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 3w ago

"As soon as winter arrived, visions of skis swishing through new snow filled me with such feverish loungings that wherever I was I interrupted what I was doing, or stopped worrying about what I was not doing, and went to the hills." /1 #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #EastCoastKin

"Every Sunday in Geneva I would get up at four in the morning to catch the special ski train to the mountains. How could one not escape from the plains knowing that above the sticky fog a radiant sun waited for us, his worshippers?"

"Where is the world, I ask, where nothing must be sacrificed, where every possibility will be fulfilled? If the snow had not bewitched me with its joy and beauty who knows if, tired of my fickleness, I should not have begun something consistent?"

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 4w ago

Ella's mother, Marie Dagmar Maillart, née Kliim, was an independent and athletic Danish woman who took her to the mountains every Sunday to ski ... considered at the time as an English eccentricity! #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Marie-Dagmar Kliim (1874-1953) is framed by an open window and intricate lace curtains, reflecting the early-to-mid 20th-century aesthetic.

According to a written statement from the Danish vice-consulate in Geneva dated 24 November 1916, Marie-Dagmar Kliim "was born to Danish parents on 26 July 1874 in Holmen, Copenhagen". Her father, Rasmus Jensen Kliim, was 30 and her mother, Christiane Henriette Kröncke, was 28. On 2 May 1896, she married Paul Maillart in Copenhagen and their first marital home was in England (Register of Matrimonial Regimes of the Canton of Geneva).

The Danish language does not appear in the correspondence between Ella and her mother. Nevertheless, in letters written to Ella from Denmark in the 1930s, she mentions having been to the theatre, which suggests that she spoke Danish.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 4w ago

Ella Maillart, Age 12, 1915. "Every year on the 22nd December the family went to the Bernese Oberland; while my parents were climbing in the hills, I spent many hours alone playing on the practice slope ..." /1 #Photography #Switzerland #Skiing #EllaMaillart #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

Aged 12, she is wearing a structured tailored jacket and a matching knee-length skirt paired with vintage round, metal-rimmed glacier goggles to prevent snow blindness, and is using classic early wooden skis and solid-wood poles in front of a sprawling, rugged snowy mountain range.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 4w ago

"In Paris, Alain Gerbault introduced Ella to his publisher, Charles Fasquelle, who asked: 'Are you going to write something about your stay there?' 'Oh, no!' I replied, 'I cannot write.'" /1 #Photography #EllaMaillart #Russia #USSR #Books #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

"... This answer impressed him so favourably - for nowadays everyone with a fountain pen thinks they can write - that he insisted and asked me many questions." - Cruises and Caravans

/2

Parmi La Jeunesse Russe (1932) caused a great scandal in Geneva, with several critics calling it red propaganda and Ella an avid communist. But it earned her her first cheque as a writer - no less than 6,000 francs - which opened the doors to freedom for her.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 4w ago

"Back in Moscow, where winter was beginning, letters from Geneva informed me father was ill and wanted to see me. I was not keen to go home but I had no other strong desire of my own. The old problem, the old ghost, raised its head again: What could I do?" #Photography #EllaMaillart #Russia #Moscow

A bustling street scene on Novinsky Boulevard in Moscow, Russia showing a horse-drawn cart in the foreground and a horse-drawn carriage navigating cobblestone streets.

Ella Maillart @ellamaillart.bsky.social · 4w ago

'Pechersk Lavra Monastery, Kyiv, Ukraine', Ella Maillart, 1930. In June 2026, it was significantly damaged in what Ukrainian President Zelensky called "one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture today." #Photography #EllaMaillart #ArtOfBlueSky #PhotographersOfBlueSky #EastCoastKin

The distinctive gilded onion domes of Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in Kyiv, Ukraine, a significant site in Eastern Orthodox history founded in the 11th century.

Upon arriving in Kyiv in September 1930, Ella wrote to her parents expressing her immense joy at being completely on her own, able to go wherever and whenever she pleased. She settled into one of the oldest monasteries, which had been converted into a hospice following the revolution. From the bell tower, she photographed the city and the Ukrainian plain.

On 24 January 2026, a Russian drone attack shattered windows and damaged two buildings of the complex, marking the first time it sustained war-related damage since World War II.

In June 2026, the 11th Century athedral was significantly damaged in what Ukrainian President Zelensky called "one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture today."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2026/jun/17/kyiv-pechersk-lavra-monastery-before-russia-attack-in-pictures