Elisabeth Meyer

Who was Elisabeth Meyer?

Elisabeth Meyer was a Norwegian photographer and journalist who is best known for her photo-journalistic work from travels through Iran and India in the 1920s and 1930s, among them early photographs of Mahatma Gandhi. Meyer traveled through Iran on her own and may have been the first Western woman to travel through Iran in this way. There was a total ban on photographing in Iran at the time and she was arrested several times, but released with a warning. In Turkey she visited Kemal Atatürk in his private residence and his bedroom covered in pink silk. In Irak she interviewed king Faisal in his "palais just outside Baghdad". In India the young Indira Nehru helped Meyer visit the imprisoned Mahatma Gandhi, and she described the meeting like this: «Any other man would appear ridiculous in that outfit, but with regard to Gandhi all criticism is silenced. I was never particularly enthusiastic about Gandhi, but now I am completely converted. He is one of the most sympathetic humans I have ever met, he is truly a great man.» Meyer also visited Syria, Mexico and Alaska.

Meyer was born in Tønsberg to an affluent family.