Berenice Abbott (1898-1991)

Berenice Abbott was born in Springford, Ohio, in 1898. After graduating from Ohio State University she moved to New York to study journalism, but eventually decided on sculpture and painting.   In 1921 she moved to Paris to study with sculptor Emile Bourdelle. Abbot also worked with the surrealist photographer, Man Ray (1923-25), before opening her own studio in Paris. She photographed the leading artists in France and had her first exhibition at the Au Sacre du Printemps Gallery in 1926.

Abbott returned to the United States in 1929 and embarked on a project to photograph New York. In 1935 she managed to obtain funding for this venture from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and its Federal Art Project. In 1936 Abbott joined with Paul Strand to establish the Photo League. Its initial purpose was to provide the radical press with photographs of trade union activities and political protests. Later the group decided to organize local projects where members concentrated on photographing working class communities.

Abbott's photographs of New York appeared in the exhibition, Changing New York, at the Museum of the City in 1937. A book, Changing New York, was published in 1939. She is also published a Guide to Better Photography (1941). In the late 1950s Abbott began to take photographs that illustrated the laws of physics.

Abbott's health deteriorated in the early 1960's and, to escape New York City's polluted air, she moved to a renovated barn in Maine and began the last stages of her illustrious life. She became involved with a number of new books, including "A Portrait of Maine", published in 1968. It is, naturally, not at all characteristic of the many picture books of Maine with scenes of the seacoast and quaint villages; rather Abbott aimed her camera inland and concentrated on people and industry, producing photos that are the essence of Maine.

Berenice Abbott was actively involved in photography for over sixty years. She witnessed many trends and fashions, and she knew most of the 20th century masters. Although they had an influence on her, her realistic approach to photography remained unaltered. When asked many years ago what she considered her best photograph, Abbott replied, "...the one I will take tomorrow". She died in 1991in Monson, Maine.