Paul Verlaine 3 - An old photo of a man in a top hat and coat

At the age of eighteen, he moved to Paris to open a photographic studio. Where and how he learned photography is unknown. He quickly gained a reputation as a professional, specializing in photographs of cultural and entertainment figures. He signed his work "OTTO" in gold letters to match the sign above the door of his studio. He eventually occupied four floors of the building. He taught photography to Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke of Sweden, and Edward Steichen was one of his assistants. He is best known for his portraits of Isadora Duncan and Marcel Proust, who was also a friend, and Paul Verlaine, who posed for him in 1893 as part of his preparation to become a candidate for the Académie Française. He participated in numerous exhibitions in France and abroad. A fire in his studio in 1916 caused considerable damage[2] Although he knew the photographer Eugène Pirou, he was never professionally associated with him, as is often mistakenly assumed. The error came about after the brothers Georges and Oscar Mascré began using Pirou's name without his permission, later advertising themselves as "Otto-Pirou", in an obvious reference to Wegener. Although he was awarded two gold medals, he never mentioned them in his promotional material. Most of his works were in "cabinet" format (14.5 x 10 cm) or larger. Very few are in the popular "carte de visite" format.