Women Photographers. Recollections: Ten Women of Photography by Margaretta K. Mitchell.

Viking, 1979. 1st edition. Featuring Berenice Abbott, Ruth Bernhard, Carlotta M. Corpron, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Nell Dorr, Toni Frissell, Laura Gilpin, Lotte Jacobi, Consuelo Kanaga, Barbara Morgan. [Excellent biographical resource with photographs by and of the photographers.] Near fine in cloth with very good, protected dust jacket that has a crease near bottom edge.  Another copy, ex-library, very good. Some pages have creases in upper right corner. Dust jacket has new protector, no spine label, piece of clear tape on one inner flap.  Summary:

Published in 1979 by Viking Press, Recollections: Ten Women of Photography by Margaretta K. Mitchell is a landmark biographical and pictorial study. It was produced in conjunction with a major traveling exhibition organized by the International Center of Photography (ICP), aiming to rescue the legacies of pioneering women who were active during the early to mid-20th century.

The "Forgotten" Generation

Mitchell focuses on ten women, most of whom were in their 70s, 80s, or 90s at the time of publication. The book serves as a vital oral history, capturing their personal struggles and triumphs before their stories were lost to time. It emphasizes that these women were not just "amateurs," but professionals who operated successful studios and shaped the aesthetic of their era.

The Ten Photographers

The book provides a deep dive into the lives and portfolios of:

• Ruth Bernhard: Known for her meticulous, sculptural approach to the female nude and still life.

• Berenice Abbott: Famed for her "Changing New York" series and her efforts to preserve the work of Eugène Atget.

• Carlotta M. Corpron: A pioneer of "light drawings" and abstract surrealism.

• Louise Dahl-Wolfe: A revolutionary force in fashion photography for Harper’s Bazaar.

• Nell Dorr: Celebrated for her soft-focus, intimate portrayals of motherhood and childhood.

• Toni Frissell: A versatile talent known for fashion, sports, and WWII combat photography.

• Laura Gilpin: Dedicated her life to documenting the landscape and peoples of the American Southwest.

• Lotte Jacobi: Famous for her "photogenics" and her iconic portraits of Albert Einstein and the German intelligentsia.

• Consuelo Kanaga: A social documentarian who focused on racial injustice and the dignity of the marginalized.

• Dorothy Norman: Known for her intimate portraits and her close association with Alfred Stieglitz.

Key Themes and Significance

• The Struggle for Recognition: A recurring theme is the "double life" many of these women led—balancing domestic expectations with a relentless drive to create professional-grade art.

• Aesthetic Diversity: The book illustrates that there is no singular "female style"; the work ranges from Dahl-Wolfe’s high-society elegance to Corpron’s avant-garde abstractions and Kanaga’s gritty social realism.

• Mentorship and Lineage: Mitchell highlights how these women influenced one another and the generations that followed, creating a map of female mentorship that had previously been invisible in art history.

"These women were not working in a vacuum, but in a world that often failed to see them. Recollectionsfinally turns the lights on." — Margaretta K. Mitchell