“How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself.”–Anaïs Nin
Since the beginning of the medium, women have always been a vital part of the development and history of photography. Acknowledging and celebrating their contributions has, regrettably, not been a part of the narrative. Seeking to address this absence, historians/curators Luce Lebart & Marie Robert, along with over 160 female writers have brought us a volume of considerable importance.
Thames & Hudson’s new “A World History of Women Photographers” begins chronologically with Anna Atkins cyanotype experiments in the 1840′s and takes us on a fascinating history to today, expertly demonstrating through time how women photographers have never stopped creating, experimenting and re-interpreting the world. The editors write: “This ‘world tour’ enables us to re-evaluate some women who were celebrated and acknowledged in their own time, to remember others now unjustly forgotten, and to discover others whose work was never exhibited or discussed during their lifetime.”
There are 300 photographers presented in this “manifesto.” Each presents an opportunity for discovery and learning. Many have never been recognized until now. With the publication of A World History of Women Photographers, Lebart & Robert are expanding the history of photography and creating a world we want. –Lane Nevares