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Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography
Berenice Abbott is to American photography as Georgia O’Keeffe is to painting or Willa Cather to letters. She was a photographer of astounding innovation and artistry, a pioneer in both her personal and professional life. Abbott’s sixty-year career established her not only as a master of American photography, but also as a teacher, writer, archivist, and inventor. Famously reticent in public, Abbott’s fascinating life has long remained a mystery—until now.
In Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography, author, archivist, and curator Julia Van Haaften brings this iconic public figure to life alongside outlandish, familiar characters from artist Man Ray to cybernetics founder Norbert Wiener. A teenage rebel from Ohio, Abbott escaped first to Greenwich Village and then to Paris—photographing, in Sylvia Beach’s words, "everyone who was anyone." As the Roaring Twenties ended, Abbott returned to New York, where she soon fell in love with art critic Elizabeth McCausland, with whom she would spend thirty years.
In the 1930s, Abbott began her best-known work, Changing New York, in which she fearlessly documented the city’s metamorphosis. When warned by an older male supervisor that "nice girls" avoid the Bowery—then Manhattan’s skid row—Abbott shot back, "I’m not a nice girl. I’m a photographer…I go anywhere." This bold, feminist attitude would characterize all Abbott’s accomplishments, including imaging techniques she invented in her influential, space race–era science photography and her tenure as The New School’s first photography teacher.
With more than ninety stunning photos, this sweeping, cinematic biography secures Berenice Abbott’s place in the histories of photography and modern art, while framing her incredible accomplishments as a female artist and entrepreneur.
In Berenice Abbott: A Life in Photography, author, archivist, and curator Julia Van Haaften brings this iconic public figure to life alongside outlandish, familiar characters from artist Man Ray to cybernetics founder Norbert Wiener. A teenage rebel from Ohio, Abbott escaped first to Greenwich Village and then to Paris—photographing, in Sylvia Beach’s words, "everyone who was anyone." As the Roaring Twenties ended, Abbott returned to New York, where she soon fell in love with art critic Elizabeth McCausland, with whom she would spend thirty years.
In the 1930s, Abbott began her best-known work, Changing New York, in which she fearlessly documented the city’s metamorphosis. When warned by an older male supervisor that "nice girls" avoid the Bowery—then Manhattan’s skid row—Abbott shot back, "I’m not a nice girl. I’m a photographer…I go anywhere." This bold, feminist attitude would characterize all Abbott’s accomplishments, including imaging techniques she invented in her influential, space race–era science photography and her tenure as The New School’s first photography teacher.
With more than ninety stunning photos, this sweeping, cinematic biography secures Berenice Abbott’s place in the histories of photography and modern art, while framing her incredible accomplishments as a female artist and entrepreneur.
656 pages, Hardcover
First published April 10, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 21, 2019
I'm giving up on this one due to the poor writing. It felt as if the writer felt obliged to include all trivia and keep beating us over the head with bits and pieces she knew. Unfairly she makes references to future comments or actions within a different time without every really making a point, other than Abbott being a human being who over her many decades of life was occasionally contradictory or hypocritical (in a mild irrelevant way to the story of her as a photographer). Overall it loses the story, doesn't pull out the themes and wanders all over the place and ends up being boring. Which is a shame, for a great and interesting photographer. Equally, it is quite boring have a photograph that isn't being shown just described. There aren't a lot of images included, and they don't seem to be renewed by someone who has a technical understanding of their photographic merits, or why they were groundbreaking in their time. It's all comments and opinion from others. No real critical assessment to understand Abbott's place in photography history. I'd recommend finding another biography of Berenice Abbott by a better writer who knows how to bring you close to a person's life and someone more informed about photography.
August 27, 2018
Yes, it's a lengthy book crammed full of details and maybe a bit repetitive. Abbott had her cranky side. She was not necessarily a lovable personality. But she was a great artist who was committed to her work. This biography shows what she did and how she did it and what it cost her to reach such heights in the artistic world. If you're into photography or want to learn more about women artists, this book is worth making space for on your reading shelf.
January 24, 2024
I have long admired Ms Abbott's photos so I was eager to learn about her life. I don't know if this biography will be the definitive word but reading it was an awful experience. The author's style was pompous artspeak and every page had a constant parade of names of folks with whom Ms. Abbott interacted. The book is lavishly illustrated with photos but many times the author would be describing a photo in depth with no available illustration of it. Truth be told, Berenice Abbott was a fascinating woman who not only attempted different styles of photography but also invented some photographic gadgets that were patented. Her personality was prickly and curmudgeonly and short shrift was given to her long term relationship with Elizabeth McClure due to Ms Abbott's reticence regarding same sex relationships. Some sections of photo processes and dysfunctional photography organizations were just plain boring.
September 21, 2019
Another book that I chose to read simply by walking past it in the library display. What a fascinating journey through Berenice Abbot's life of photography! Born in 1898 in Ohio, we experience Bernice's journey from the US, to France and back to the US again. I've learned so much from this book, sometimes very technical, but always interesting. A very stubborn and determined woman. An inspiration to so many! Even if you never thought you would be interested in photography, this book could change your mind! One of the best books I've ever read!
May 13, 2018
It is well researched but not especially well written. The narrative is neither chronological nor thematic. It is especially disappointing that there are so few examples of the subject’s photographs.
October 11, 2018
I got bored.
May 25, 2019
Not as interesting a personality as I thought she would be. Would have liked more of the Paris photograhs. And clear statements about her as a person.
February 1, 2022
Very detailed account of her life and her career, really gets into the weeds of it but if youre a fan of her work well worth the read.
January 10, 2019
Well written and detailed biography of this "between the wars" photographer. Man Ray coached her through basic photographic technique only to compete with her later. She was mentored by photographer Eugene Atget and took on representation of his estate longer than she anticipated.
Her portraiture of 20's society figures in Paris and London is great, but it's her later career as a WPA photographer that I'm fascinated with. She focused on NYC architecture and cityscapes. Her pov sometimes looks like she was in precarious, if not dangerous situations. The author provides a lot of detail about her contemporaries and social mores of the day, so there's more context. I admit that I found the first half of the book more interesting. Reverse spoiler:)- before reading this book, it's best that you see a collection of her photographs.
Her portraiture of 20's society figures in Paris and London is great, but it's her later career as a WPA photographer that I'm fascinated with. She focused on NYC architecture and cityscapes. Her pov sometimes looks like she was in precarious, if not dangerous situations. The author provides a lot of detail about her contemporaries and social mores of the day, so there's more context. I admit that I found the first half of the book more interesting. Reverse spoiler:)- before reading this book, it's best that you see a collection of her photographs.
October 23, 2018
I found this book fascinating. If you love the history of photography this book has it all - Berenice Abbott -- her life story is touching and profound. She worked so hard and it paid off (no more spoilers).
She was able to function and thrive in the old boy network. Here are some of the topics that
weave into the story: Greenwich Village and Paris in the 1920's, Man Ray, James Joyce, Nancy Cunard, Peggy Guggenheim, NYC in the 30's - 70's, Steichen, Margaret Bourke-White, developments of Scientific Photography, MOMA, Julian Levy, John Szarkowski, The Photo League of NYC, the history of the Gallery Scene in NYC, Helen Gee and Limelight. And on and on. This book is FULL of facts and historical detail which does not make it an easy read -- but it was a worthwhile one.
She was able to function and thrive in the old boy network. Here are some of the topics that
weave into the story: Greenwich Village and Paris in the 1920's, Man Ray, James Joyce, Nancy Cunard, Peggy Guggenheim, NYC in the 30's - 70's, Steichen, Margaret Bourke-White, developments of Scientific Photography, MOMA, Julian Levy, John Szarkowski, The Photo League of NYC, the history of the Gallery Scene in NYC, Helen Gee and Limelight. And on and on. This book is FULL of facts and historical detail which does not make it an easy read -- but it was a worthwhile one.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews