A History of Women Photographers

A black-and-white photograph of two dark-skinned young twins sitting in folding chairs against a woodsy background, facing the camera with their bodies angled outward in opposite directions. They wear matching cowgirl outfits, complete with hats, boots, and hobby horses.
Feb 13 to May 04, 1997

Women have played a vital role in the history of photography since its beginnings in 1839, and NMWA is proud to honor their contributions with the exhibition, A History of Women Photographers. A first-ever international survey of women’s achievements over the course of photography’s first 150 years.

This exhibition includes many of the world’s most famous and influential photographers: Pictorialists Julia Margaret Cameron and Gertrude Kasebier; documentarian Dorothea Lange; modernists Imogen Cunningham, Tina Modotti, Lisette Model and Diane Arbus; photojournalists Margaret Bourke-White and Mary Ellen Mark; postmodernist Cindy Sherman; and many others.

The eye-opening exhibition also brings to light unknown or forgotten photographers, establishing a context for them among the women photographers who have already achieved lasting fame. “The field of photography is a relatively young art medium,” says Rebecca Phillips Abbott, Director of the museum. “It is critical that an exhibition of this kind is brought to public attention now. It assures that important contributors to photography won’t be forgotten and establishes a precedence for the examination of photography in the future.”

A History of Women Photographers is an international exhibition, featuring the work of over 200 photographers, as represented by 234 images made between 1850 and 1975 in countries throughout Europe, the Americas, and parts of Asia. It is divided into eight thematic sections: narrative and allegory; urban scene and landscape; the nude; still life; portraiture; documentary; fashion and advertising; and experimental photography. Organized by the Akron Art Museum, this historic exhibition opens at NMWA on February 13 and remains on view through May 4, 1997.

View of a gallery space covered in black-and-white photographs hanging on each wall.

Installation image of A History of Women Photographers

The Artist,

Berenice Abbott

Berenice Abbott is recognized as the originator of documentary photography or photojournalism. No other photographer had yet envisioned it as a tool of realistic documentation.
A black-and-white photograph of a light-skinned adult older woman wearing a long winter coat and white knitted cap. She has short hair and stands against a backdrop resembling a cloudy sky with her hands in her pockets.

The Artist,

Lola Álvarez Bravo

Dolores (Lola) Álvarez Bravo was one of Mexico’s first professional women photographers, documenting daily life in Mexico and portraying an array of international leaders.
Soft-focus black-and-white studio portrait of the head of a light-skinned young adult woman in profile. Her curly dark hair is pulled back in a low bun.

The Artist,

Esther Bubley

Esther Bubley was a photojournalist renowned for her revealing images of the United States and its people in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.
A black-and-white photograph of a light-skinned young woman with medium-length dark hair and thick bangs. She is depicted standing outdoors in front of a building. She wears a coat and holds a large camera.

The Artist,

Cindy Sherman

Through her photographs, Cindy Sherman examines women’s roles in society and questions the ways in which the viewer looks at and identifies with the women she portrays.
A black-and-white photograph of a light-skinned adult woman with medium-length straight blonde hair. She wears a dark colored long sleeved shirt. Shown from her mid-section up, she stands in front of a brick wall and glances to the side.

The Artist,

Louise Dahl-Wolfe

As a staff photographer for Harper’s Bazaar, Louise Dahl-Wolfe introduced a witty naturalism to the staid conventions of fashion photography and helped pioneer the use of color film.
Black-and-white photo of a light-skinned adult woman leaning out from behind a large studio camera. Wearing glasses, a white turban and a stripped top, she smiles with an expression of humor. A large spotlight sits behind her and she holds a piece of large format film.

The Artist,

Hannah Höch

Hannah Höch documented Weimar Germany’s political and social turmoil through paintings, drawings, prints, and, most notably, photomontages.
A black-and-white photograph of a light-skinned adult woman. Seated outdoors on a log in front of greenery, she is posed in profile with her body turned to the left of the composition. She wears a long striped dress and crosses her legs. She has short, dark hair cut in a bob.

The Artist,

Graciela Iturbide

Graciela Iturbide’s photographs reveal the daily lives, customs, and rituals of Mexico’s underrepresented native cultures.
A black-and-white photograph of an adult woman with short, dark hair looking into the viewfinder of a small film camera. She is outdoors with grass behind her. She holds the camera with her right hand and focuses the lense with her left. She is smiling as she looks into it.

The Artist,

Gertrude Käsebier

Gertrude Käsebier was a leading member of the pioneering photographic movement known as Pictorialism, which emphasized a subjective, painterly approach to photography.
A sepia-toned photograph of a light-skinned adult woman. Standing against a wall, she dons a large black hat with a feather in the brim. She wears a dark dress with a white collared shirt and a long baggy dark coat. She places her left hand on the wall beside her.