Thora Thersner was a graphic artist and an illustrator.

Thora Thersner was born on Christmas Eve in 1818 in Stockholm. She was the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Ulrik Thersner, also an artist, and his wife Anna Gustafva Wechman. Even when very young, Thora Thersner showed talent for drawing and was given private lessons. When her father died, she was only ten years old. She continued however in her father’s footsteps and completed his work on comprehensive volumes of topographical illustrations of Swedish landscapes and buildings past and present, with the title Fordna och närvarande Sverige. When she was young, Thora Thersner mostly drew figures and was not very practised in drawing landscapes. In 1845, she became solely responsible for the completion of the work, however. When her mother died, the publication of the work became her only means of financial support.

Almost half of the illustrations in the great work were created by Thora Thersner. During her father’s lifetime, the volumes on Skåne and Östergötland were published. The work on Uppland and Södermanland had been begun and was completed by others. The remaining nine provinces were done by Thora Thersner. She travelled around the country herself and drew what she saw. She continued with this work for the rest of her life. At her death in 1867, the work comprised 91 volumes containing 364 illustrations.

In the newspaper Stockholms Dagblad, in connection with the announcement of Thora Thersner’s death, it was established that her work to spread knowledge about Sweden had earnt her the right to be remembered. As an illustrator, she was also included in the Konstakademien exhibition in 1836, with a number of drawings. She is currently represented at the Värmland Museum among others.

Thora Thersner died in 1867. She lived all her life in Stockholm where she was born and died as a member of the Finnish congregation.