Bernice Abbott was an American photographer who was born in Springfield, Ohio in 1898. Then in 1918 she moved to New York City where she studied journalism at Columbia University before once again moving in 1921 to Paris, France, this time to study sculpture. It was in Paris that she became a master photographer after being an assistant to Man Ray. Abbott was a quick learners and turned out to be a very talented photographer with a passion for the art. Having natural skill for photography helped her build a clientele and reputation for herself quickly. By 1925 she had her own studio in which she focused mainly on portraits, but became very popular in Europe for.
When she finally returned to New York City in 1928 she was stunned by the amount had change the city had undergone, especially the architecture. This led her to begin photographing and documenting the changes and technological advancements that were occurring. After years of work New Deal’s Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration finally agreed to sponsor her work of New Yorks changes in the project “Changing New York” in 1935. Then only a few years later. book of her work was published under the same title which was considered a milestone in photography.
For the rest of the duration of her life, Abbott continued to work on manly street photography as well as some portraits. She also worked with the Physical Science study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to look into the photography of scientific phenomenon for a time.
Aside from her actually photographs, Abbott also created how to books on photography that have become some of the standard guides for photography techniques. In addition, he also created some photography equipment and techniques that are still used today. Her accomplishments as a photographer are considered to have a wider range that any other American photographer which helped lead to her induction in the Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in 2000.
Sources:
https://www.moma.org/artists/41?artist_id=41&page=1&sov_referrer=artist
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/berenice-abbott-5