As part of the Fotomuuseum’s thematic year dedicated to body photography, the Secret Staircase Gallery will open a new exhibition on December 5, 2024, showcasing historical photographic portraits featuring fur coats and collars.

In Estonia’s harsh climate, luxurious fur has long been both a symbol and a guarantor of health and prosperity. For over a century, this protective layer has adorned people in photo studios and snowy courtyards, embodying beauty and status. These portraits capture a timeless connection between human elegance and the enduring allure of fur. Exhibition is curated by Merilis Roosalu, using photographs from Estonian museum collections, the exhibition will remain open until the summer season of 2025.

Unknown Photographer. Portrait: Christine Juliane Bulla (née Keselberg). Kuressaare.1910. Christine was from Iide village in Sõrve Parish, Saaremaa, and settled in Sõrve year-round in 1918 with her husband, Carl Oswald Bulla, a former photographer for the Russian Imperial Court. The Museum of Photography / Tallinn City Museum TLM F 10515

Teppor-Sandat Photo Studio (Photographers Aleksander Teppor and Eduard Sandat). Portrait of Agathe Ohakas (mother of painter Valdur Ohakas). Circa 1920–1925. Tallinn. The Museum of Photography / Tallinn City Museum TLM F 10279:7