Andreas Groll

1812–1872 (active c. 1843–1871)

Andreas Groll (Austrian, 1812–1872) was born in Vienna and worked as photographer between 1842–1871. His first photograph, a daguerreotype, dates to 1842, and he subsequently experimented with daguerreotypes as well as calotypes (also called talbotypes). From 1844 onwards he worked as an assistant at the chemical Laboratory of the Vienna Polytechnic Institute, and from 1850 onwards also taught photography, gave public lectures on photography and through this acquired moderate fame. In 1852 he began working as a fulltime professional photographer, specializing in architecture photographs. With his large format cameras, a tent as his darkroom and various pieces of photography equipment, Groll traveled extensively through the Austro-Hungarian Empire, publishing several portfolios. The first photographer in Vienna to leave his studio, Groll thus modernized photography and newly interpreted the job description of the photographer.