Cornelie Tollens

Cornelie Tollens (1902-1995) was a Dutch photographer and photojournalist who is best known for her work documenting the everyday lives of people in the Netherlands during the 1930s and 1940s.

Born in Amsterdam, Tollens began her career as a photographer in the 1920s, working as an assistant to Dutch photographer Willem Witsen. She quickly developed her own style, focusing on capturing candid moments of everyday life. Her work was often published in magazines such as De Groene Amsterdammer and Het Volk.

In 1933, Tollens joined the Nederlandse Fotografen Bond (Netherlands Photographers Association), becoming one of its first female members. She also became a member of the Nederlandse Fotografen Vereniging (Dutch Photographers Association). During this time, she continued to document everyday life in the Netherlands, often focusing on rural areas and small towns.

In 1940, Tollens was forced to flee to England due to World War II. While there, she continued to take photographs and worked as a photojournalist for several newspapers. After the war ended in 1945, she returned to Amsterdam where she continued her photography career until her retirement in 1975.

Throughout her career, Tollens captured many iconic images of Dutch life during this period. Her work has been exhibited at various galleries around Europe and is held in several museum collections including those of Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.