Women Photographers [Hardcover]

Constance Sullivan (Editor), Eugenia Parry Janis (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Assembled from public and private collections the world over, the extraordinary images presented in this volume reflect the work of 73 women photographers from the mid-19th century to the present. They range from such early Victorian pioneers as Lady Clementina Hawarden to the recent work of Cindy Sherman, reconstructing a virtual pantheon. As well as encompassing the photographs of important early figures in the art--Julia Margaret Cameron, Gertrude Kasebier--Sullivan ( The Nude ) pays considerable attention to international modernist artists (Berenice Abbott, Imogen Cunningham, Germaine Krull, Dorothea Lange). Each photographer is represented by several examples of her work, eliciting a gamut of emotions from the viewer--cerebral admiration in the case of Margaret Bourke-White's shots of technology; horror in reponse to Lee Miller's depiction of the liberated Dachau concentration camp. Another service rendered by the book is the unveiling of obscure practitioners, such as the innovative English portraitist Madame Yevonde. A perceptive essay by art historian Janis provides a provocative critical framework for all.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In the essay "Her Geometry," Janis uses analysis of an image by Gertrude Kasebier as a template for discussing the themes running through the history of women's photography. The tactic works well for the structural progression from the Victorian photo-decoupage of Lady Filmer through the Dada/Surrealist experiments of Hannah Hoch to Jan Groover's assemblages. It also ties the sexual illusion/power in the crinolines of Lady Clementina Hawarden's young girls to the more unabashed nudes of Sally Mann. Unfortunately, the impact of many contemporary women photographers is glossed over. That Judy Dater is not included as an explorer of female sexuality in imagery, Cindy Sherman is dealt with in a paragraph, and Barbara Kruger is not even mentioned weakens the essay considerably. The absence of an index is another drawback. It's too bad, since the plates are magnificent and production is first-rate.
- Kathy J. Anderson, Onondaga Cty. P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 263 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 1st edition (September 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810939509
• ISBN-13: 978-0810939509
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,889,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Photography and Women, December 12, 2004

By 

Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren (Oxford, MS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Women Photographers (Hardcover)

Far too often photography, like so many other vocations or avocations, is considered man's domain. Therefore, most photographic books have been written either by men or about men.

Over the years, however, books such as The Woman's Eye, Julia Margaret Cameron: Her Life and Photographic Work, Julia Margaret Cameron: 1815 1879, The Gentle Eye, Imogen Cunningham: Photographs, Laura Gilpin: An Enduring Grace, etc. have appeared to document the unusual photographic skills of such noted individuals as Bea Nettles, Alisa Wells, Gertrude Kasebier, Eudora Welty, Barbara Morgan, Margaret B. White, Julia Margaret Cameron, Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham, Laura Gilpin and Clementina, Viscountess Hawarden.

These truly special works have not surfaced as often as one would like. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise to discover Constance Sullivan's edited work, Women Photographers. Opening with the likes of Maria Chambefort's hand-colored portrait (1850) and Lady Filmer's calling cards (1864), this work reveals a history not only of women photographers, but also of photography itself. Sullivan has orchestrated a visual feast of photographic artistry which spans 140 years of creative achievement. In designing this work, the editor has endeavored to include the greats and the lesser known. The mixing and blending of these outstanding women photographers in a semi-chronological fashion encompasses the photographic achievements of: Julia Cameron, Berenice Abbott, Dorothea Lange, Cindy Sherman, Diane Arbus, Mary Ellen Mark, and Annie Leibovitz; with lesser known photographers--Margaret Watkins, Aenne Biermann; and recent achievements of Jan Groover, Wendy Snyder MacNeil, Nan Goldin, etc.

This work is a book of photographs which could, because of its striking portrayal of beauty, strife, sorrow, and dignity, stand alone. Many so-called photographic works bog the reader down in such a quagmire of prose that the visual effect suffers. In this case, however, Eugenia Parry Janis is careful to tailor her essay to simply and effectively enhance the pictures without trying to reveal any grand thesis or purpose.

In an age of "equality," some reviewers and photographers have questioned the use of the book's title, Women Photographers. The best way to respond to this criticism is to note the many books on Indian, black, and 19th century photographers. This book's title merely provides a means of classification for a group of rare and often times neglected individuals--women photographers.

Sullivan's adept editing coupled with Janis's essay provides the reader with a fascinating and diverse view of photography at its best. The work is a must for all devotees of exceptional photograpy.

Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren

COPYRIGHT 1993 Photographic Society of America, Inc.