Margaret Bourke-White

by Susan Goldman Rubin

This biography explores the dramatic and adventure-packed life story of the acclaimed photographer Margaret Bourke-White with beautiful black-and-white photographs.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art, Biography, Middle Grade

96 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1999

About the author

Susan Goldman Rubin is the author of more than forty-five books for young people, including Andy Warhol: Pop Art Painter; The Yellow House: Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin Side by Side; and Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow. A long-time instructor in the UCLA Extension Writers Program, Susan Goldman Rubin lives in Malibu, California.

Reviews

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The is a short biography about a huge personality. Margaret was fearless. I've been interested in female American photojournalists this year. These women try to fit typical molds for their time but inevitably realize that they are married to their passion, photography. No the action, but the story those photos tell. Her interests ranged from insects (her original college major) to industry (her first career position). She worked for the magazines of the early twentieth century, Fortune and Life as they came into existence. Always searching for the next big story to tell she witnessed war, slavery, poverty and industrialization first hand. Margaret photographed Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt and Ghandi. A few personal themes are presented but want to seek more in depth books about her life. This is a great first start. Young girls should learn about this vital American hero.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stopped quicklyat the library and saw this book on a shelf in the entry. I took it to the desk to pay. It was free! That gave it a star right there. Yes, it was a YA but still interesting with large prints of her most well known photos. Written simply but well I now know the basic facts about this amazing person.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning collection of photos embedded in an insightful biography of a remarkable, fearless woman. To gaze on her portraits is to fall into another's experience, to become human. I wish it weren't out of print.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA treatment of this amazing and fascinating pioneer photographer. The photographs are wonderful, the text not so much. I did, however, enjoy being introduced to the life of this American photographic wonder. Worth a look.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic biography. Sampling of Brouke-White's work. Written for a YA audience. Has a good bibliography in the back.

[Ray Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, short biography of the great photographer. Contains some of her most famous photos too. A very adventurous life, and the sacrifices such a lifestyle would demand. Too adventurous for me.

[Cheryl Meibos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing historical photographs.

[Carlos Filipe Bernardino · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short-written biography, covering the main aspects of the life Margaret Bourke-White, it offers as a good selection from her photographs.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was in the adult section at the library, but was clearly a childrens' book. Or at least middle reader. Aside from that mis-classification, which really messed with my head for a while, I found this book fascinating. As someone who has learned a lot of "women's history" and with an avid interest in early photography, I am amazed that I had never heard of Bourke-White before. This book really covered all the basics, and the photographs were amazing. I like that the book did touch on not just the biographical bits of Bourke-White's life, but also her changing attitudes to photography. I did recognize several of the photographs, particularly the iconic Gandhi photo. I had never known that photo was taken by an American woman, which really lent an interesting perspective.

This is a great book, I would definitely recommend it for kids, maybe with an adult's help. Some of the concepts in there are sort of glossed over, like decisions not to have children and reasons marriages failed, but the bits on feminism and a woman doing a "man's job" are nice touches.

[Brian Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an amazing book, but not really in a good way. It has just got to be the result of rival committees at the Harry N. Abrams publishing house. The selection of photographs and the quality of reproduction is superb, as one would expect from Abrams; but the text was clearly intended to be for a children’s book. My pet theory is that once some committee determined to publish a selection of Bourke-White photos they realized they might need some text to go along with it but didn’t have budget for a proper treatment. So they checked the archives and discovered they had a dusty manuscript for a kid’s book on Bourke-White, blew the dust off, and rushed it into print. Anyway, this book is worth picking up at a used book sale but don’t bother reading the text; you’ll just feel insulted, unless, of course, you’re in the third grade and fascinated with an amazing pioneering woman photographer, which would be really cool.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is written on a level for a kid, maybe jr high age. It gives lots of interesting details on the life of Margaret Bourke White that I didn't know. It has compelled me to add a more adult version of her biography to my to-read list. I have been an admirer of hers for years and years. She was one of the best photographers ever. She was a trail-blazer for women photographers at a time when it was very much a man's world. Most of her photographs are interesting and some are very famous and unforgettable. She took the one of Ghandi in front of the spinning wheel.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally read this book years ago --one ballsy lady! Considering where she had to drag the cumbersome equipment of the day and the lighting limitations of her industrial subjects: the shots can be considered phenomenal.

Yeah, it's good.

[Joe Vigil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Margaret Bourke White. A master of composition and a true inspiration for any aspiring photographer.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great companion to Carolyn Meyer's Girl With a Camera. Includes many of Bourke-White's most famous photographs and includes just enough details to be informative without being overwhelming.