Paulina Mongird was born in 1865 into a noble family in Raseiniai County, then part of the Kovno Governorate in the Russian Empire. Her parents were Mieczysław and Zofia Mongird (née Hryszkiewicz). She had a brother Jan (1858-unknown) and sister, Zofia (1860-1912).[2]
Around 1885, the Mongird family moved to Palanga in the Courland Governorate after selling their estate. They acquired property on Memel Street 7 (now Vytautas Street), which included the Tuchanovicz villa.
Mongird was well-educated, graduating from Henryka Czarnocka’s Private Girls' Boarding School in Warsaw between 1880 and 1886.[3] She spoke Lithuanian and Polish fluently, had proficiency in Russian and French, and was talented in drawing. Her interest in photography led her to complete a photography course for women in Warsaw.[4]
Priest Felicijonas Juškevičius with his sister, 1888
Mongird began her photographic career around 1888, using equipment she acquired from Warsaw. In 1892, she opened a photography studio in Palanga after receiving official permission from the general governor. Her studio operated until her death in 1924. Her early works bore labels such as "Fotografia P. Mongird Polangen" (in Cyrillic) or "Wadwicz Mongird Polangen" (in Polish).[5]
Mongird was the first professional photographer to capture the architecture, landscapes, and daily activities in the towns of Palanga, Kretinga, and Gargždai. Her portraits often featured meticulously composed backdrops, such as seascapes, and were popular with visitors to Palanga.Her portraits became especially popular among tourists seeking to preserve memories of their visits.
She documented Palanga’s landscapes, the Baltic coastline, and local life. Her work was sold to tourists and published in newspapers. In addition to her work in Palanga, she produced postcards featuring scenes from Kretinga and the Russian-German border.
"M. Pauline. Polonga Bains de mer" [Palanga Sea Baths], c. 1892, a lithographic album.[7]
"Polonga. Atelier de Pauline Mongird" [Palanga. Paulina Mongird’s Studio], pre-1916, held in the National Library of Poland.[8]
Birutė Hill, Palanga, late 19th c.
Her photographs were frequently reproduced in promotional publications about Palanga, as well as in Lithuanian and Polish newspapers and albums published abroad. Between 1899 and 1924, Mongird created postcards depicting notable sites, such as manors in Palanga, Kretinga, and Vaitkuškis, along with portraits of Lithuanian grand dukes. Her early postcards were lithographed, while later ones combined photographic and graphic elements.
Her talents were recognized by the Tyszkiewicz counts, prominent patrons who invited her to photograph family members and commissioned her to create albums documenting the manor estates in Palanga and Kretinga.
In 1911, she won a silver medal at a photography exhibition in Lviv.[9]
2012, Poland, Sopot: Photographs by Paulina Mongird were featured in the exhibition "The Tyszkiewicz Palanga: A Baltic Resort at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Century" at the Sopot Museum.[12]
2017, Lithuania: A documentary „Vyrų šešėlyje [In the Shadow of Men]. Paulina Mongirdaitė" (Director Justinas Lingys) was aired, highlighting her contributions to photography.[16]
2020, Lithuania: Documentary from the series "Forgotten Names in Photography" (Director Justinas Lingys) featured Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus, drawing renewed attention to their works.[17]
Mongird never married and supported her family, including her mother, sister, and two nieces, while living in Palanga. Her niece Janina Wrotnowska (née Walicka) described Mongird’s life in her memoirs, excerpts of which appear in The First Photographers of the Coast: Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus by Jolanta Klietkutė. Another niece, Nora Bucewicz (née Walicka), was a writer who incorporated Mongird's photographs into her publications.
Paulina Mongird passed away on November 5, 1924, and was buried in Palanga’s old cemetery near the chapel. Her grave is no longer identifiable.[18]
Her contributions to Lithuanian photography paved the way for future generations of photographers, particularly women.
Photographer and writer Jolanta Klietkutė has played a key role in reviving Mongird’s legacy through her research and publications.
Klietkutė, Jolanta (2015). Pirmieji pajūrio fotografai: Paulina Mongirdaitė, Ignas Stropus [The First Photographers of the Coast: Paulina Mongirdaitė and Ignas Stropus]. Vilnius Academy of Arts Press. ISBN 978-609-95754-0-7.
Omilanowska, Małgorzata (2011). Nadbałtyckie Zakopane - Połąga w czasach Tyszkiewiczów [Zakopane on the Baltic Sea: Palanga in the Times of the Tyszkiewiczs]. Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences. ISBN 9788389101006
^Kanarskas, Julius (2000). "Kretingos muziejus: Fotografė Paulina Mongirdaitė" [Kretinga Museum: Photographer Paulina Mongirdaitė]. LIMIS, Lithuanian Integral Museum Information System. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
^"Digital Repository". The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
^"Moteris su kamera XIX a. pab. – XX a. pr" [A Woman with a Camera at the End of the 19th – Beginning of the 20th Century]. Jonas Šliūpas museum, National Museum of Lithuania. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
