Biographical/Historical Information
Lene Schneider-Kainer (1885, Vienna - 1974 Bolivia) lived Paris before World War I and moved on to Berlin in 1920 where she acquired a reputation as a portraitist. She became a close friend of the novelist Bernhard Kellermann, author of the bestseller, The Tunnel. In the late 20's, Kellermann was engaged by the Berliner Illustrirte to retrace the voyage of Marco Polo. Schneider-Kainer accompanied him on this journey as an illustrator and photographer for two years. During this expedition throughout the Far East, the explorers visited many places not previously visited by Europeans. After her return, she exhibited her work to great critical acclaim all over Europe. On the occasion of an opening in 1929 she remarked, "We traveled through many countries and through regions where photographic equipment was unheard of, where the natives either ran away from the cameras in fear or created sheer unsurmountable obstacles through their unbound curiosity. It was equally incredible to them to see a woman "write" faces and forms as letters are written on paper..." Soon after, she went on a trip to Morocco and then settled on Mallorca, until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. In the late 30's, Schneider-Kainer immigrated to the US and settled in New York City, where she published children's books under her pen name Elena Aleska. In 1954, Schneider-Kainer went to Cochamba in Bolivia to join her son Peter. She directed a mission for the aid of the indigenous population, assisting them with the manufacture of textiles in traditional Indian patterns. After her death, her son Peter continued her business until 1976.
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Citation
Schneider-Kainer, Lene: Ernoe, Persia, Leo Baeck Institute, 79.28.