▁years ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁the ▁divor ce ▁was ▁expensive ▁and ▁for fe ited ▁G oss auer ' s ▁independence : ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁custom ary ▁at ▁that ▁times , ▁a ▁legal ▁guard ian ▁was ▁assigned , ▁and ▁every ▁contract ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁cust od ian . ▁Nevertheless , ▁in ▁his ▁annual ▁reports ▁the ▁cust od ian ▁also ▁mentioned ▁G oss auer ' s ▁business ▁ac umen , ▁her ▁e ag ern ess , ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁ear n ▁money ▁and ▁to ▁find ▁her ▁own ▁living ▁without ▁having ▁to ▁take ▁any ▁financial ▁help . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁G oss auer ▁used ▁a ▁fol ding ▁camera ▁type ▁Engel - Fe it k ne cht ▁for ▁report ages ▁and ▁landscape ▁phot ography . ▁Alfred ▁Engel ▁Fe it k ne cht ▁was ▁the ▁designer ▁of ▁the ▁camera ▁made ▁in ▁Switzerland ; ▁between ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁about ▁ 6 0 0 0 ▁cam eras ▁were ▁produced . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁G oss auer ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁ful fil ▁a ▁long - cher ished ▁wish , ▁thanks ▁to ▁her ▁successful ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁photograph er ▁and ▁business w oman : ▁at ▁the ▁Ob ere ▁Bahnhof str asse ▁l ane ▁she ▁bought ▁land ▁and ▁built ▁a ▁three - store y ▁commercial ▁and ▁resident ial ▁building . ▁On ▁the ▁top ▁floor , ▁she ▁established