Eduard Nepomuk Kozič


Eduard Nepomuk Kozič was a photographer and inventor, known for his photo ateliers in the city center of Pressburg. He created images of monuments of Bratislava and its surrounding, but was famous also as author of portraits. He invented and patented a procedure to expose photographs on canvas, elephant bone, porcelain, wood, glass and email. In the 1850s he was the most prominent photographer in Bratislava. His portraits were the highlights of contemporary photography. He won many medals and awards from exhibitions. He died April 25, 1874 in Bratislava.
In 1847, he first encountered daguerreotype. He received training from traveling photographer Johann Bubenik. Soon he also learnt calotype technique and collodion process from in Vienna between 1847–50.
His first studio was set up in the garden pavilion of Slubek's house on Gaisgasse in the late 1840s.
His second studio was at Promenade no. 34 from 1856 – 1868.
On 1 October 1868 he opened in a newly built house on Promenade 2 his third studio. The place next to the Hotel zum grünen Baum was later renamed to Sétatér 9, then Kossuth Lajos Platz/Kossuth Lajostér 9, and today is Hviezdoslavovo námestie 4. The studio was known for its lively social happenings. Among Kozič's close friends was allegedly Franz Liszt. Kozic made several of his portraits, and in return Liszt gave several concerts in Kozic's studio salon. Kozic was one of Pressburg's most prominent and esteemed citizens. Kozič was considered to be 'one of the most capable lightscribes of the entire crown possession.' After his death, the studio continued to be operated by his wife Karolina Kozics-Helle until 1926. They had three children: Karolína Eleonóra Ema, Pavlina Jozefina and Eduard František Xaver. Artefacts from the studio are archived in museums in Bratislava and Košice. Kozics' photographs are part of the collections of Matica slovenská, Slovak National Museum in Martin Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava.