Karolina Borchardt
Born – 1905
Becomes the first aviatrix of Poland in the 1920’s.
Marries a man who becomes a sea captain, educator and writer of best-seller books on maritime adventures. They have one child, a daughter, Danuta. Soon after that Karolina graduates from the Krakow business school.
In 1939 the Polish Aero club makes a gift to Karolina of a one-engine plane, but World War II breaks out, and so ends Karolina’s flying avocation.
In 1941 she escapes with her daughter from the Soviet-occupied Poland to Sweden, never to return to Poland, except for her husband’s funeral in 1986.
In 1943 Karolina moves with Danuta from Sweden to London to join her husband who, since the outbreak of the war has been serving in the Polish navy under the British flag. Having being torpedoed on one ship, bombed on another, he is by now invalided out of the navy.
Karolina works as a secretary to one of the ministers of the Polish Exile Government in London. A few years after the war Karolina begins to invest some of her savings in war-damaged houses. She has them repaired, in turn sells them until, in the 1960’s Hilton (of the hotels) buys one of her properties in central London. This enables her to retire and to devote her life to painting, her dream for many years, until her death in 1995.
Karolina Borchardt
Born in Minsk, Belarus - 26 July 1905.
Died in London, England – 18 July 1995
Karolina became the first Polish woman air pilot. She was a war exile in London and became a British subject in 1948
Studied art at University of Stefan Batory in London
Dipolma di Merito at Universita Delle Arti Italy
One man shows English Painters Art Group
- Dovestreet London
- Gallerie Internationale New York, USA
- Richmond Gallery, London
- Barrett Gallery, London
Group Exhibitions
- The Mall Gallery
- Weighouse Gallery Mayfair
- Salon des Nations Paris
- London Cassel Gallery
- Loggia Gallery
- New Vision Gallery
- Centaur Gallery
- POSK Gallery
- Germany Gallery PRO, Stuttgart
And many others
In 1975 a catalogue of some of her paintings titled “Karolina Borchardt” was commissioned by Gallerie Internationale of New York U.S.A. with Introduction by Pierre Rouve Vice President of World Art Critics Association
Reviews in New York Press
London Review by Bernard Denvir Editorial Associate of Art International
Art Critic of “The Times Supplement” by Cottie Burland
Reproductions of her work printed in Art Guide International
Her works are in private collections in U.S.A., Poland, England, Spain and France
Memberships included
- International Professional Artists at Unesco
- Free Painters and Sculptors
- APA - Association of Polish Artists in Great Britain
She also appeared in “Who’s Who in Art”
Karolina Borchardt - retrospective exhibition
http://karolinaborchardt.co.uk/
