Qissa Reviews: A World History of Women Photographers

First things first, this book is a thing of beauty. It is huge, coming in at over 500 pages, and tastefully packaged. A World History of Women Photographers is edited by Luce Lebart and Marie Robert and documents 300 women photographers across two centuries. The research process was arduous, taking two years and resulting in text from 164 women authors from around the world who contributed their recommendations and helped to shine a light on some little known photographers, as well as the big names of the medium.

The book includes two opening essays to help situate the book. The first within the context of photography books, exhibitions and studies, the second on the history of women in photography more generally. The first - written by both Lebart and Robert - includes some quite shocking examples of how women have been written out of history, from exhibitions and anthologies, and some of the blame is, quite rightly, placed on historians and academics:

'Even when they succeeded in gaining true recognition by their peers in their lifetime, women have tended systematically to disappear from the broader narrative of creativity.'

The editors highlight how the reader is more likely to be familiar with male photographers, such as Henri Cartier-Besson and André Kertész, because they have been more widely and consistently celebrated than their female counterparts. For example, the essay speaks of Raymond Lécuyer's seminal Histoire de la photographie which was published in 1945 but included only two women in the entire anthology (both of whom are included in this book). There is a leaning towards the francophone world, as the title was originally published in France and both Lebart and Robert are French. Nonetheless, we see the same phenomenon playing out across continents. 

That being said, the editors particularly credit one man when it comes to helping to shift the focus to female photographers in France. During the 1980s, Christian Bouqueret, a non-academic historian and collector, strove to obtain recognition for significant female figures in the interwar period. Now that’s how you can be an ally! The opening essay also touches on women in art in general and the initiatives that have helped propagate women artists’ widening recognition. Examples included the founding of AWARE in 2014: the Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions and the 2014 panel discussion held by Fast Forward photography.

The second essay is quite similar in theme, but instead of looking at books and exhibitions of women photographers, it looks at the actual women photographers and their erasure from history. A prime example is Harriet Tyler, a photographer who recorded images of her travels including the Sepoy mutiny against the East India Company in 1857. However to this day her images are often still credited to her husband, a captain in the army at the time. There are fascinating examples in the book of the ways in which photography simultaneously empowered and belittled women, particularly in the 20th century. The essay notes how cameras were marketed to women as being very easy to use, thus negating the artistry of the genre and implying that women didn’t have the capacity for other art forms. On the other hand, photography offered new and exciting opportunities for women:

'For many of them, the camera opened doors: their photographer status enabled them to gain access to places that had previously been off-limits to or little frequented by women.'

Women could become war correspondents; they could potentially enter societies and clubs that they hadn’t previously been able to frequent. However, it must be noted that this was very much an upper-class pursuit. Doors were opened for women, but only if they had the money and status to back it up. 

And then we come to the photographers themselves. Listed chronologically from birth, the book runs from Anna Atkins (1799-1871) and finishes at the end of the twentieth century with Newsha Tavakolian (1981), ‘when the appearance of digital technology and the globalization of the photographic scene altered the landscape entirely.' The book is truly impressive in its span. It aims to cover women celebrated in their own time, as well as those whose work was never exhibited or discussed during their lifetime. The editors are aware of their own bias and write how difficult it is to avoid the 'pitfalls of a Western-centric approach when one is drawing on models, concepts and methods forged in Europe in the nineteenth century, and when the project itself originates in France!'

They speak about how they actively wanted to highlight photographers from outside Europe and North America whose work is currently less accessible and they certainly manage to introduce the reader to a huge swathe of artists from around the world. They also only worked with female historians, critics, archivists and journalists for the texts because they wanted to challenge the notion that 'literary authority [is] considered largely a male monopoly.'

Even from the beginning the photographs are so varied. Anna Atkins produced cyanotype impressions (plant samples placed on paper, covered in iron salts and left in the sunshine to reveal white impressions) while Emilie Bieber took group portraits which she then coloured by hand, adding life and personality to these still images. Each artist gets one full page with an in depth biography and an example of their work shown. Through learning about the individual artists, we also learn more about the medium of photography and the time in which these women were working. From catching everyday moments, such as Mary Dillwyn’s photograph of a snowman being built on her family estate (read: money) in 1853, to seminal moments in history, women really have been involved in photography since its invention. 

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Qissa’s Highlights

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Empress Cixi

This is the first entry in A World History of Women Photographers that is from outside of West Europe and the USA. Empress Cixi lived in China between 1835-1908. Destined to be a concubine to Emperor Xianfeng, Cixi was ambitious and was able to overcome many obstacles to become the Emperor’s favourite and take over his rule when he died. In terms of her photographic work, she didn't actually press the shutter herself. However, she was responsible for staging the photos and she used photography for political means (as did many women throughout the book). This of course raises the question of authorship and what counts when it comes to being labelled a photographer. But, even with this in question, the inclusion of Empress Cixi seems right, with her photographs breaking many rules of the time: 

'The appearance of high-ranking women in public was then highly-codified and restricted: other than at marriage ceremonies, women could communicate only through screens, without their faces ever being seen.'

Yet in the images of Cixi we see her looking straight into the camera, defying those around her.

Elizabeth Pulman

Born in the UK in the late 1800s, Elizabeth Pulman moved to New Zealand with her husband and proceeded to take portraits of Maori chiefs and important women leaders. Initially selling them as postcards, she was soon approached directly by the Maori people who asked her to take their portraits. Pulman portrayed their individuality and avoided racist stereotypes at a time when they were rife.

Jane Dieulafoy

It seems that exploration goes hand in hand with photography and that women who did both were breaking multiple stereotypes at the time. Jane Dieulafoy was a French national who travelled extensively, particularly to the Middle East. She was one of the first women to be awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 1888 for bravery in the Franco-Prussian war and yet she cut a controversial figure with her short hair and mens clothing. She was particularly interested in cataloguing architectural and archaeology site finds. 

Dickey Chapelle

More recently (1919-1965) we have the American photojournalist, Dickey Chapelle, who travelled around the world taking photographs of conflict: Cuba, Korea, Hungary and more. She was one of the first American correspondents to die in Vietnam when she was out accompanying marines on an expedition. 

Marilyn Silverstone

Of course, taking photographs of people can be a very exploitative thing to do. As was noted in Qissa’s conversation with academics working in language preservation; when you enter a society different to your own and draw from it (whether that be through natural resources or knowledge) you are, even if unintentionally, exploiting people. This was something felt keenly by photographer Marilyn Silverstone. Initially a photojournalist, she gave up her job because she felt she was dehumanising people by looking for the most shocking images to sell to publications: 

'You get to taking pictures of people like pieces of meat.'

She became a Buddhist nun but eventually turned back to photography and focused on educating people about other cultures. In particular she took beautiful images of Nepalese communities, including one of my favourite images from the whole book: 'Villagers looking at slides of themselves, Yumthang, India, 1971.'

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There are so many incredible stories in this book and we could go on to list many more. From Bunny Yeager, the first woman to be both glamour model and photographer, to Hou Bo, China's most prolific photographer during Mao's era. There’s an example of a woman chronicling the Sicilian Mafia in the 1970s and another who documented twins among families called Patel in Britain and India. Some are very candid and documentary, whereas others, like Renée Cox and Pushpamala N., are more staged. 

Overall, A World History of Women Photographers is a fascinating and delightful read, whether you’re interested in photography, history, social and political change or just appreciate gorgeous artwork. Five portfolios break up the profiles and give even more work for the reader to appreciate. This is a book I will return to again and again and I’m sure I will find something new every time.