Leonora Selmer

{{Short description|Norwegian actress (1851–1930)}}

{{Infobox person

| image = Leonora Selmer - Helene Ingeberg - Oslo Museum - TM.T02895.jpg

| caption =

| name = Leonora Selmer

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1851|10|15|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Kragerø, Norway

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1930|02|12|1851|10|15|mf=y}}

| death_place = Oslo, Norway

| resting_place= Cemetery of Our Saviour

| occupation = Actor

| yearsactive =

| spouse = Jens Selmer

| children = Ulf Selmer

| mother =

| father =

| relatives =

}}

Eleonora Josephine Selmer (née Nielsen, October 15, 1851 – February 12, 1930){{cite book |last1=Jensson |first1=Liv |title=Biografisk skuespillerleksikon: norske, danske og svenske skuespillere på norske scener særlig på 1800-tallet |date=1981 |publisher=Universitetsforlaget |location=Oslo |page=151}} was a Norwegian theater actress.{{cite book |last1=Wiers-Jenssen |first1=Hans |title=Nationalteatret gjennem 25 aar |date=1924 |publisher=Gyldendalske bokhandel |location=Oslo |page=48}}

Leonora Selmer was born in Kragerø, the daughter of the printer Johan Peter Nielsen and Karoline Krøger. On January 25, 1873, she married her fellow actor Jens Selmer, and they were the parents of the actor and painter Ulf Selmer.{{cite book |last1=Gram |first1=Harald |last2=Steenstrup |first2=Bjørn |title=Hvem er hvem? |date=1948 |publisher=Aschehoug |location=Oslo |page=478 |url=https://runeberg.org/hvemerhvem/1948/0478.html |access-date=February 15, 2021}}

According to Liv Jensson, she debuted at the New Christiania Norwegian Theatre (a.k.a. the Møllergaden Theater) between 1870 and 1873. She had her first major role in the fall of 1870 as Alice de Rochegune in Ernest Legouvé's Par droit de conquête (Norwegian title: En Brud ved Erobring).{{cite news |title=Det norske Theater |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digavis_dagbladet_null_null_18700910_2_210_1 |access-date=February 16, 2021 |work=Dagbladet |issue=210 |date=September 10, 1870 |page=2}}

She later worked at the Christiania Theater and after that at the National Theatre.{{cite web |title=Leonora Selmer |url=https://sceneweb.no/nb/artist/44059/Leonora_Selmer |website=Sceneweb |access-date=February 17, 2021}}{{cite web |title=Leonora Selmer |url=https://forest.nationaltheatret.no/Persons/Details/ef4e7658-0864-4911-9094-7e89df7b5ba1 |website=Nationaltheatret |access-date=February 17, 2021}} In the summer of 1899 she participated in the Christiania Tour ({{langx|no|Christianiaturneen}}), in which she played the role of Mathilde in Hans Huckebein (Norwegian title: Damen fra Ostende) by Gustav Kadelburg and Oscar Blumenthal.{{cite news |title=Theatret |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digavis_fredrikshaldstilskuer_null_null_18990620_44_70_1 |access-date=February 17, 2021 |work=Fredrikshalds Tilskuer |issue=70 |date=June 20, 1899 |page=2}}

Leonora Selmer is buried at the Cemetery of Our Saviour in Oslo.{{cite web |title=Enkefru Eleonore Josefine Selmer |url=https://www.begravdeioslo.no/maler/grav/grave_id/10317 |website=Gravferdsetaten |publisher=Oslo kommune |access-date=February 17, 2021}}