Hochhäusler, Ignacio

The Austrian photographer Ignacio Hochhäusler was born in Vienna in 1892. His father, the owner of a shoe factory, gave him his first camera at the age of 15, igniting his passion for photography, which eventually became his profession. While employed in the family business, young Hochhäusler spent his free time at the Vienna Photographic Club meetings until the outbreak of World War I, when he had to join the Austro-Hungarian army. After the war, he returned to work in his father's struggling factory. In 1926, he embarked for France and eventually arrived in Chile, where his brother already resided.

During the voyage, he had a chance encounter with a photographer, which opened up the opportunity for him to pursue photography professionally. Upon arrival in Chile, with the assistance of Austrian residents who provided him with workspace, he began his career as a photographer in the capital. By 1927, he was serving clients in Santiago from his establishment on Teatinos Street. In 1931, he moved to State Street 363, third floor, and in 1938, he opened a spacious studio at Pasaje Matte 82, apartment 509, which he named Viennese Photographer. He remained there until the 1950s when he relocated to Ahumada Street 254 and later to a workshop in his home on Marcel Duhart Street in the Providencia neighborhood.

He utilized Rolleiflex, Rolecflex, and Hasselplat cameras. Specializing in commercial photography, particularly children's portraits, he produced large-format black-and-white enlargements, becoming the preferred children's photographer of the upper class. Additionally, as an independent photographer, he captured numerous portraits of the artistic scene, establishing a close relationship with Ernst Uthoff's experimental theater. His photographs of miners in Lota and landscapes also stand out. His work preserved aspects of Chilean life, landscapes, productive activities, faces, and traditional festivities, many of which had never been captured before. Some of his images earned significant recognition, including the first prize at the Inter-American Photographic Exhibit in Washington in 1942.