Maillart, Ella Katherine, 1903-1997

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Ella Maillart was born to a wealthy fur trader from Geneva. Her father was Swiss and her mother was Danish. At the age of 20 she and a friend sailed from Cannes to Corsica, then to Sardinia, Sicily and Greece. She competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics as a sailor in the Olympic monotype competition where she was the only female competitor and finished ninth out of 17.

From the 1930s onwards she spent years exploring Muslim republics of the USSR, as well as other parts of Asia, and published a rich series of books which, just as her photographs, are today considered valuable historical testimonies.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Fonds Ella Maillart Bibliothèque de Genève, BGE
creatorOf Sitwell, Edith, 1887-1964. Edith Sitwell letter and telegram to Ella Maillart, 1949 December 17. Washington State University, Holland and Terrell Libraries
creatorOf MAILLART, ELLA, d.1997. Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Sitwell, Edith, 1887-1964. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Chandolin VS CH
Genève GE CH
Subject
Occupation
Photographers
Travelers
Activity

Person

Birth 1903-02-20

Death 1997-03-27

Swiss

French

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SNAC ID: 26918340