In 1791, Alexander Hamilton wrote the Report on Manufacturers,
giving suggestions on how to develop the industries of the United States. One
of his recommendations was to capitalize on women and children as a source of
inexpensive labor.1 Then, in the 1820’s, women were hired to work in
the textile mills of New England. These young women were hired from farms, and
paid far less than men, because it was presumed that they would only work a few
years until they were married.1
Photo by: Anonymous Lowell Mill Worker
Year: 1926
Source: http://thebeachsideresident.com/2010/04/lowell-mill-girls-get-organized/
Year: 1926
Source: http://thebeachsideresident.com/2010/04/lowell-mill-girls-get-organized/
Like in many other professions throughout the subsequent
years, females have faced an uphill battle in the field of photojournalism. Margaret
Bourke-White was a photojournalist during World War II. She was unique during
this time because there were few women war photographers. In fact, she was the first woman to fly with
a combat crew over enemy soil.
Bourke-White was born in 1904. When she graduated from Cornell
University in 1927, she specialized in architectural and industrial
photography. Bourke-White worked for Life Magazine for 21 years and even had
her own secretary and office, which was unusual for a photographer, let alone a
female photographer. The photographs that she took during World War II had to
be submitted to censors; however this was the case of all photographs taken
then.2
Some of the trials she faced seem silly today. It took 5 days for it to be determined in
Washington, D.C. that women would wear what men wore into war, with the
addition of a skirt. She also packed an evening gown in case she had the chance
to dance with soldiers, which seems a little ridiculous, but those were
different times. She was given a derogatory nickname by the soldiers, “Crisco-puss”,
because she was known to use face cream while in the trenches.2
Year: 1942
Source: http://www.cyclelicio.us/2013/world-war-2-bomber-crews-biked-to-work/
Bourke-White faced many of the same challenges that male
photojournalists did. For example, both male and female photojournalists had to
carry hundreds of pounds of equipment; a feat that was not either for members
of either gender. Transportation to the
front lines was also a major obstacle for both genders. The difference was that
male photojournalists were repeatedly given seats on planes and trucks before
females.2
Image Assessments:
Image 1: Textile Mill Workers
Principle 1: Expression- The expressions on the subjects faces tell a story in this photograph. The mill workers look tired, and in some cases unhappy. Mills were difficult places to work, and women worked long hours. This photograph accurately represents the reality of working in a textile mill.
Principle 2: Main Subject- The main subject is obvious. This is a photograph that documents mill workers. There is nothing in the photograph that distracts from this.
Principle 3: Focus- The focus in this image is slightly soft. There may be too much light. It is also possible that it looks this way because of the more crude photographic technology of the time.
I chose this photograph because I felt that it represented the actual people that worked in the mill. If you look at the faces of the women, and the men in the photograph you get a feeling for the mood of the working environment. I suppose the other explanation for the sullen expressions on their faces was a long exposure time. Either way, I feel that this photograph is a good representation of the life of textile mill workers.
Image 2: Margaret Bourke-White Self Portrait
Principle 1: Background- The background of this photograph does not detract from the subject. The airplane also provides context.
Principle 2: Contrast- The contrast seems appropriate for the image, however it would be interesting to see what the image looks like with the contrast increased a little. There seems to be a lot of grey and no real white.
Principle 3: Rule of Thirds- The main subject is slightly off center and the photograph is divided vertically into thirds. When divided into thirds, Bourke-White takes up part of the first two thirds, and the plane takes up part of the second two thirds. There is a balance.
I chose this image because I like how Bourke-White looks larger than life. The angle at which she takes the self-portrait is interesting and makes her a towering subject. I also like the uniform that she is wearing, and the fact that she is holding a camera. This was self-portrait was obviously well thought out.
Image 3: Bomber and Bikers
Principle 1: Color vs. Black and White- The colors of this photograph give it a dream like quality. Color photography during World War II was not the standard at the time, as newspapers and magazines usually preferred black and white for printing images. The photographs from this time period that are in color have a special quality to them that make them endearing.
Principle 2: Quality of Light- The light in this photograph enhances the image. It seems as though the sun is shining in through the left side of the photograph, highlighting the plane and the puffy, white clouds.
Principle 3: Use of Lines- The angle of the plane draws the eye into the image from the left and along to the cyclists on the right. This gives the photograph a flow and keeps it interesting.
I chose this photograph because of the combination of colors and the overall flow of the image. I love photographs from this era, especially of airplanes. It was interesting to me that both of Bourke-White's photographs that I have used on this page seem to have similar compositions, with two main subjects, each taking up part of the first two thirds, then the other taking up the other two thirds.
Resources:
1) http://www.thelaborsite.com/women1.cfm
2) http://history.scout.com/articles/articletype/articleview/articleid/67/ladies-behind-the-lens
Image Assessments:
Image 1: Textile Mill Workers
Principle 1: Expression- The expressions on the subjects faces tell a story in this photograph. The mill workers look tired, and in some cases unhappy. Mills were difficult places to work, and women worked long hours. This photograph accurately represents the reality of working in a textile mill.
Principle 2: Main Subject- The main subject is obvious. This is a photograph that documents mill workers. There is nothing in the photograph that distracts from this.
Principle 3: Focus- The focus in this image is slightly soft. There may be too much light. It is also possible that it looks this way because of the more crude photographic technology of the time.
I chose this photograph because I felt that it represented the actual people that worked in the mill. If you look at the faces of the women, and the men in the photograph you get a feeling for the mood of the working environment. I suppose the other explanation for the sullen expressions on their faces was a long exposure time. Either way, I feel that this photograph is a good representation of the life of textile mill workers.
Image 2: Margaret Bourke-White Self Portrait
Principle 1: Background- The background of this photograph does not detract from the subject. The airplane also provides context.
Principle 2: Contrast- The contrast seems appropriate for the image, however it would be interesting to see what the image looks like with the contrast increased a little. There seems to be a lot of grey and no real white.
Principle 3: Rule of Thirds- The main subject is slightly off center and the photograph is divided vertically into thirds. When divided into thirds, Bourke-White takes up part of the first two thirds, and the plane takes up part of the second two thirds. There is a balance.
I chose this image because I like how Bourke-White looks larger than life. The angle at which she takes the self-portrait is interesting and makes her a towering subject. I also like the uniform that she is wearing, and the fact that she is holding a camera. This was self-portrait was obviously well thought out.
Image 3: Bomber and Bikers
Principle 1: Color vs. Black and White- The colors of this photograph give it a dream like quality. Color photography during World War II was not the standard at the time, as newspapers and magazines usually preferred black and white for printing images. The photographs from this time period that are in color have a special quality to them that make them endearing.
Principle 2: Quality of Light- The light in this photograph enhances the image. It seems as though the sun is shining in through the left side of the photograph, highlighting the plane and the puffy, white clouds.
Principle 3: Use of Lines- The angle of the plane draws the eye into the image from the left and along to the cyclists on the right. This gives the photograph a flow and keeps it interesting.
I chose this photograph because of the combination of colors and the overall flow of the image. I love photographs from this era, especially of airplanes. It was interesting to me that both of Bourke-White's photographs that I have used on this page seem to have similar compositions, with two main subjects, each taking up part of the first two thirds, then the other taking up the other two thirds.
Resources:
1) http://www.thelaborsite.com/women1.cfm
2) http://history.scout.com/articles/articletype/articleview/articleid/67/ladies-behind-the-lens
