A massive restoration project brings the hidden archive of Trieste’s trailblazing female duo to London.
The Estorick Collection in London is set to unveil a landmark exhibition titled 'Wanda and Marion Wulz: Avant-garde Photography in 20th-Century Italy,' marking the first time the sisters' pioneering work has been explored outside of Italy. Operating out of Studio Wulz in Trieste, the sisters were part of a three-generation photographic dynasty. The studio was originally founded by their grandfather Giuseppe in the 1860s and later passed to their father Carlo. However, it was between 1928 and 1981 that Wanda and Marion took the helm, pushing the boundaries of the medium far beyond the traditional portraiture of their predecessors.
This exhibition is the culmination of an ambitious inventory, restoration, and digitization project that began in 2023. For the first time, the vast Wulz photography studio archive has been systematically reorganized, revealing the depth of the sisters' creative output. Wanda Wulz, in particular, is celebrated for her experimental spirit and her association with the Futurist movement, creating iconic composite images that blended human and animal forms, such as her famous cat-woman self-portrait.
While Marion focused heavily on the technical and administrative management of the studio, her role was vital in maintaining the family legacy for over five decades. The show at the Estorick Collection provides a rare look at how these two women navigated the male-dominated world of early 20th-century photography, evolving from studio portraitists into avant-garde artists. By showcasing their work alongside the history of their family studio, the exhibition highlights a unique intersection of craft, family tradition, and radical artistic innovation that defined the Trieste photography scene for over a century.
This story highlights the importance of archiving and digitization in reclaiming the legacies of women in photography. It serves as an inspiration for contemporary makers to look back at family archives as sites of untapped creative history and technical innovation.
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