Valentin Wolfenstein
Valentin Wolfenstein (19 April 1845 – 3 February 1909) was a Swedish-American photographer who worked both in Stockholm and Los Angeles, California. He was one of the first photographers to use flash-lamps for photography. He owned the first successful photography studio in Los Angeles where he photographed many famous Californians in the 1870s in 1880s.
Also recorded as Wolfenstein of Stockholm · Atelier Wolfenstein · Valentin Wolfenstein (1845-1909)
Valentin Wolfenstein

Los Angeles public library · Public domain
- Name
- Valentin Wolfenstein
- Born
- 19 April 1845
- Birthplace
- Falun, Sweden
- Died
- 3 February 1909
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, US
- Occupation
- Photographer
- Known for
- Flash photography
- Nationality
- Sweden
- Languages
- Swedish
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Valentin Wolfenstein (19 April 1845 – 3 February 1909) was a Swedish-American photographer who worked both in Stockholm and Los Angeles, California. He was one of the first photographers to use flash-lamps for photography. He owned the first successful photography studio in Los Angeles where he photographed many famous Californians in the 1870s in 1880s.
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Note VALÉORINE
Valentin Wolfenstein (1845–1909) was a photographer, of Swedish nationality. The photographer was born in Falu Kristine church parish and died in Los Angeles. Valentin Wolfenstein worked in Stockholm.
Languages used include Swedish. Works are held at Photography Collection.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q16649480 · wikipedia · Valentin Wolfenstein
In this article
Biography
Biography
After returning to Sweden, Wolfenstein owned Atelier Jaeger, the official court photographer's studio in Stockholm, from 1890 to 1905.

Valentin Wolfenstein in Cuba looking at real estate
Los Angeles public library
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Valentin Wolfenstein • Born — 19 April 1845 • Birthplace — Falun, Sweden • Died — 3 February 1909 • Place of death — Los Angeles, US • Other Names — * August Valentin Wolfenstein • Valentine Wolfenstein • Occupation — Photographer • Known for — Flash photography • Illustration — Wolfenstein's Los Angeles photography studio on Main Street, circa 1869 • Illustration — Flash-lamp photography
Mid-life
Mid-life
He returned to Sweden in the 1890s, sometime after Clara died, and settled in Stockholm, where he became an employee of the royal photographer Johannes Jaeger at his studio, Atelier Jaeger. In the 1890s, Wolfenstein established a photographic studio at Drottninggatan 33 in Stockholm. When Jaeger moved back to Germany, his home country, Wolfenstein bought both of his studios for 60,000 kronor. Wolfenstein continued to call the studio of 30 employees by its original name "Atelier Jaeger", because of its already established reputation as the official court photographer.
Later life and death
Later life and death
Wolfenstein sold Atelier Jaeger in 1905 and returned to the United States. Albin Roosval and Herman Sylwander, who took over his studios, kept the same original name for the studio. Wolfenstein died in Los Angeles on 3 February 1909 at the age of 63. He is buried at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Central Los Angeles.
Personal pictures
Personal pictures
• Illustration — Wolfenstein in Mexico, 1885 • Illustration — Close-up of Wolfenstein, 1907 • Illustration — Wolfenstein in Cuba, 1907
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1845
Valentin Wolfenstein born at Falu Kristine church parish.
1909
Valentin Wolfenstein died at Los Angeles.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Falu Kristine church parish.
Birth place
Los Angeles.
Death place
Photography work
• Illustration — Wolfenstein's "look-alike" of his boss John Jaeger sitting and standing • Illustration — 1894 flash photography of scene in Swedish Theatre taken by Wolfenstein • Illustration — Wolfenstein took this photo of outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez behind the Los Angeles jail on May 18, 1874. • Illustration — "Man holding rifle", 1868 Navajo chief Barboncito • Illustration — Navajo chief Manuelito with his wife and son, 1868 • Illustration — Daughter-in-law of chief Barboncito, "Mica se qui", 1868 • Illustration — Manuelito, Barboncito, and Navajo boy and man, 1868
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Valentin Wolfenstein”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q16649480: Valentin Wolfenstein
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.West Adams Heritage Association. 2008 Living Historic Tour. 2008.
- 2.Modernamuseet.se. Biografier – Moderna Museet. 2001-11-02.
- 3.vgregion.se. Västarvet – Västergötlands museum – Objekt VGM_B145198_644.
- 4.Nfr.nordiskamuseet.se. Nationella fotografregistret.
- 5.S93883215.onlinehome.us. Recentering El Pueblo: 18th Annual Living History Tour. 2008-08-23.
- 6.Ancestry.com "New York, Passenger Lists, 1820–1957" and "Passenger lists, 1869–1951 of Gothenburg, Sweden"
- 7.Runeberg.org. Sveriges riksdag 1924 : porträttalbum.
- 8.Bringing a Buffalo Soldier back to life. Los Angeles Times. 2008-09-26.
- 9.Ancestry.com "Wolfenstein Family Tree"
- 10.Ancestry.com U.S. City Directories 1821–1989
- 11.Ancestry.com Military records
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- Andrews, Ralph Warren. Picture Gallery Pioneers, 1850 to 1875. Superior Publishing Company. 1964.
- Söderberg, Rolf. Den svenska fotografins historia 1840–1940 The Swedish history of photography. Bonnier fakta. 1983. 978-91-34-50314-4.
- Palmquist, Peter E. Pioneer Photographers of the Far West: A Biographical Dictionary, 1840–1865. Stanford University Press. 2000. 978-0-8047-3883-5.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Citizenship
1- SwedenPlace
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Wolfenstein of Stockholm, Atelier Wolfenstein and Valentin Wolfenstein (1845-1909). His recorded language was Swedish.
Identity and origins
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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