Frances Benjamin Johnston Promoting Women Photographers in The Ladies’ Home Journal GILLIAN GREENHILL H! NUM Frances Benjamin Johnston successfully carved out an unprecedented niche for herself as a respected professional photographer with connections in high places. Having done so, she then took it upon herself to play the role of mentor to other women photographers. he year 1900 marked the begin- ning of anew century, seen by all aas the advent of a truly modern era. Italso marked the coming of fe of the “New Woman.” Charles Dana Gibson's famed images. of the Gibson Git! epitomized this energized, athletic, take-charge female who rather than remaining demurely th_home and hearth instead ventured into the wider world and chal- lenged male ownership of various pursuits and. pas. limes. Photography was one of these. As Clarence Bloomfield Moore noted in Cosmopolitan in 1 vision of 3 Unttke the gum, the racquet and the oar, the camera offers a field where women ean compete with men ‘upon equal terms: and that some worn have so se cessfully sien should encourage more to follow in their lead, especially as the only eistasteful portion of the work—the staining af the Gigers—can now be entirely avoided. In the realm of American photography, Frances Ben- jamin Johnston (1861-1952) best represents this “New Won ized this when she made cheek Self-Portrait (as “New Woman") Indeed, Johnston positioned herself carefully as both role model and mentor to the generation of women photographers coming of age at the turn of the centu- ty. She was, in fact, one of the primary successes to whom Moore referred in his Cosmopolitan article ‘The rise of amateur photography in the 1880s and 1890s opened the doors of the photographic world to large numbers of women. The availability of commercial dry plates and, later, of roll film made photography inf nitely more accessible at just the time when travel and tourism were becoming possibilities for the rapidly expanding American middle class. Indeed, the choice of the Kodak Girl for advertising purposes reflects this very wend. For middlectass women, the liberation from drudgery made possible by modern, laborsaving devices allowed the leisure time to pursue outside interests, For those with artistic ambitions, the camera provided a mod em and relatively easy entrée into the fine arts, Compared to painting and sculpture, whieh had cen turies in which to form hierarchies and whose august institutions consciously discouraged participation by women, photography carried little baggage. ‘There were no national schools or academies, no large-scale controlling organizations and no canon of great masters to challenge.’ Upper-middle-class women like Johnston who had trained in the more traditional arts of drawing, and painting quickly recognized the opportunities pre~ sented by the new medium. Not only did Johnston move swillly to carve out her own niche as a respected prolessional photographer with connections in high places, but she also seems to have consciously decided. to play the role of mentor for other women photogn- phers, organizing an exhibition of work by American women to be shown at the 1900 Paris Exposition and later, in 1901 and 1902, publishing a series of essays on. “The Foremost Women Photographers of America” in The Ladies’ Home Journal, the magazine with the largest circulation in America at that time. Interestingly, the rise of activity of women in photog- raphy parallels the rise of the popular press in America, @ phenomenon made possible by cheaper paper and improved printing techniques. Johnston's reputation 28rested, in large part, upon her work forthe press. ‘Thus, her use of the popular Ladies’ Home Jourval to familiar ize a broad public with the work of her female cob Teagues was a natural synergy As her self-portrait with cigarewe and beer stein sug: ests, Frances Benjamin Johnston saw herself as a reformer; however, she also had a sense of humor about playing that role. The composition for her rendering as ‘New Woman" cleatly mimics that of a Keystone View Company stereograph of the “New Woman,” a widely circulated image showing a Inusband slaving at a wash tub in the background, while his wile reads the news paper in front of the fire with her skirts hitched up about her knees and a man’s hat perched on her head, Certainly, Johnston was a pioneer; she is often eredit- ced with being the world’s first female photojournalist Her first professional job came in 1889 from Demorest Fanily Magazine, for whom she prosided an illustrated article on the United States Mint in Philadelphia,” As the magazine had recently begun employing the nevs halftone process, which allowed for the simultaneous reproduction of actual photographs along with text in articles, Johnston set out to learn all she could about the medium, writing to family friend George Eastman in Rochester for ackice about equipment and processing.” She also apprenticed herself to Thomas W. Smill director of the division of photography at the Smith sonian Institution? She assisted Smillie in. making a series of photographs of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago to illustrate the United States Government Board report." She furnished the pho- tographs of Annapolis students for the U.S. Nasy’s exhi- bition space atthe fai." Johnston ako specialized in portraiture and interior photography. In fact, she published a book of her photos of the White House in 1893, earning her the rep. tation of being the first official White House photo- grapher: Quickly, she gained a reputation among Washington's inner circles as one who could produce images that proved socially and politically advantageous to America’s rising political aristocracy of the Gilded Age However, it is Johnston's work in photojournalism tat is best known, and certainly it was that work whieh drew her to the attention of The Ladies’ Home Journal. With the popularization of the halftone process in the 1880s, the circulation of illustrated magazines boomed, Johnston worked for many of the most well known: Harper's Week, Cosmopuitan, Frank Leslie's Once a Wiek, the Mlustrated American, Demonst’s and, of course, the Journal. Among her features were a series on Pennssk ‘ania coal mines that appeared in the Mareh 1892 issue (of Demores’s Family Magazine. Over the years she also produced photo essays on women workers in a shoe fac- tory in Lynn, Massachusetts; on Hampton and Tuskegee Institutes and the Carls’ Indian School; and doc mentary photographs of the U.S. Mint and Man Cave, among others." An 1895 advertising post artist Mills Thompson de journalist, suiding into the designed for Johnston by isher as an intiepid photo- ising sun with plate carrier and tripod in hand, As early as 1893 Chavence Bloom: Field Moore noted, "Miss Johnston . .. possesses a facile pen, andl her descriptions are as graphic and spirited as is the camera work which they describe." Even at this early date, Johnston recognized that she ‘was role model for other women, She told Moore: kis another pot theory with me that there are great possibilities in photography 2¥a profitable and pleas- ant occupation for women, and [fel that my sccess hep to demonstrate this, and itis for this reason, that Tam glad to have eter women know of my work. T heya to publish my lastrations in. 188) ‘ial feel tat Lay have a pardanable pride in the ‘eay Fave extended my work in these short year” In September 1897, Johnston published her first essay in The Ladies” Home fanrnal, a two-page spread of text and images entitled “What a Woman Can Do With She was paid a sum of $300.00 for the piece.” Apparently, Johnston had toyed with the idea of ‘writing an article on women photographers for some years. An earlier project on “Wornen Who Use Kodaks’ was proposed to George Eastman in 1891, He seems to have been quite interested, but Johnston appears not to have followed through." Her piece for the Joural was illustrated by fifteen of her own photographs, including. aaview of the exterior of her Washington, D.C, studio, In her essay, Johnston points out that photography holds out great promise asa career for women, many of whom already have some training in the arts. She Photography asa profession should appeal particu lavly 0 women, andl in it th reat opportu ties for a good paying business—hut only winder very welldefined conditions. The prime requisite as summed! up in my mind alter long experience and hy profitable must ave, as to personal qualities, good common sense, unlimited patience to carry het through endless failures, equally unlimited tet good taste, a quick eve, a talent for detail, andl a genius for hard work. In addition, she needs tate ing, experience, some capital, anda fel to exploit.” Indeed, Johnston = with eamera and pen — became quite a political crusader, urging social change for impoverished coal miners and exploited female factory workers and promoting education for African Ameri= cans and Native Americans of both genders (On April 12, 1900 Mrs. Charles Henrotin of Chicago wrote a lever t Johnston on the letterhead of the nited States Commission wo the Paris Exposition of 1900. It extended a unique invitation: In connection wit the Pais Exposition a congress is tw be held on Photography, jul 23rd to the 28th, 1 promised Ms. Pouer Paliuer when she went 10 Europe that T would assist her in securing women delegates to the series of congreses to be held in ‘connection with the Paris Exposition, — We # cenuleayoring 1 secure womien who ae specialists in theit Tine of work. Women photographers, in this ‘country have accomplisied sich unique work am endeavoring to ascertain whe among thbe in Paris this summer andl would cake part asa del ‘egate in that congress, Are you to visit Pari duving the coming summer and would you be willing to serve as a delegate? Do you speak oF write French, and could yout give a short address on the work of Women in Photography and their specialties? ‘The invitation reveals several interesting things about the way in which Johnston was perceived by her peers. First, she was cleaily seen asa force to be reckoned with in the photographic world. She was also perceived to belong to the social class that summered in Europe. Finally, her credentials as an expert on women photog raphers in America seem 10 have been well known, Undoubtedly, this was, at least in part, the result of h 1897 essay in The Ladies’ Home Journal. Mrs. Henrotin land Mrs. Potter Palmer may have been familiar with Johnston’s photographic activities at the 1893 Chicago fair, as well Johnston must have hit upon the notion of an exhi- bition in Paris almost immediately. As soon as her par ticipation at the congress was assured, the photograph- cer began writing to her female colleagues, asking them femeneae Tags THE LADIES HOME JOURNAL Ae Spore ‘Frances Benjamin Johnston, “The Foremost Women Photographers of America: Mes. Getrude Kaveh” This ane the allowing photo- of wemen photographers appeaved in The Ladies’ Home I this one in May £901). All of these photographs are Comets of The Siesinger Libre, Radcliffe sinus, Harvard Universit Photographers in America vances Benjamin foloston, “Dhe Foremost Women Photographers in America: Miss Mathilde Wel" June 1901. to send her a brief biographical sketch and to loan her a few prints 10 exhibit. The group of women she select ed included some professionals, like hersell, but also) serious amateurs who submitted images t0 the photo- graphic salons of their day. ‘Their work was typical of the then dominant Pictorialist syle of photography, which produced painterly, artistic photographs." Johnston left for Europe in carly July. The Third Iniernational Photographic Congress ‘was held at the Palais des Congrés, Place de I'Alma, as part of the Expo- sition Universelle of 1900. While no complete mai script of Johnston's speech has been found, biogr cal notes on some of the thiry-one women whose work she presented give a flavor of what the event must have been like Zaida Ben-Visul S96 — Began as pastime: Soon decieled 10 traitare av a profession, Studio Tike a p No previous artistic training. Does all her own printing and developing. Does not cere to handle more work thai she can develop per sonally, Thorn in England, Came to America several eats ago." tificial nccessorie The French government awarded Johnston the deco- on of Officier d’Académic for her work at the con-Frances Benjamin Jonson, “Tae Format Women Photographers in America Frances and lary Alen, "fay 1901, gress." Her exhibition was such a success that, following the congress, it was shown at the Photo Chub de Paris and also in Moscovr and St, Petersburg, Jolnsion’s initial letter to women contributors had Heady anticipated publication of some of the submit ted photographs following the congress. However, it is doubiful that the specifics of the Ladies’ Home Journal series had yet jelled in her mind when she wrote to her colleagues in the spring. Over the years, Johnston and Journal editor Edward Bok developed a relationship in which the photo- agrapher periodically suggested feature ideas that she wanted to pursue. In January of 1900, for example, she seems fo have been promoting a project on fashion phor tography:® Thus, in the fall of 1900, when she proposed the idea of a seties of features based on the work of American women photographers, the journal respond ‘ed positively, but with certain stipulations Dear Miss Johnston: ‘Our ndersandling in regard to the pictures whieh you are 10 supply for use in the proposed series of [ages in the Jonrnal, under some sich ule as ‘What Women have Done in Photograph ss follows 26 You ate to contibute enough pictures = sa, five oF six to the page= 0 fil nine or ten pages it manner satisfactory to Mr, Bok: and for each page used you. are 10 supply such descriptive matter #8: may” be desired We are to have only the right to reproduce the phe Tographs in question, are t pay one hundred and ty dollars ($150.01) for each page aceepted under is agreement, and are to be response for no cher payments 1 any pera save yourself, as prov ded shone Kindly confirm the above understanding if i is in Inarmony with your own views. The payment of one hundeed dollars ($100.00) to- diay i understood to be a partial payment forthe Bist, article Yours truly Wim V. Alexander, Private Secretary” The fist article in the series, entitled “The Foremost ‘Women Photographers of America," was devoted to the work of Gertrude Kasebier and appeared on page one of the May 1901 issue of The Ladies’ Home Journal” An article on Philadelphian Mathilde Weil followed a wonth later, Deerfield, Massachuseus sisters Frances ES | THE LADIES’ HOME JOURN, ee eel The Foremost Women Photographers in Ametica Frances Bojan Jonson, “The America: Emma J Parsorth,” August 190 remot Women PogAmerie Frances Benjamin Jobnston, “Phe Foremost Women Photographers in America: Boa Lawrence Watson (Sbre. Martin Schulte [ste]. October 1901 and Mary Allen were featured in the July issue, and Emima J. Farnsworth of Albany was profiled in August ‘There was no article in September of 1901, and the publication of the October page featuring Exar Watson Schatze had its share of difficulties prior to publica tion” A letter of July 1, 1901, from Alexander to John. ston suggests thai the photographer wats failing 0 mee! deadlines and expecta Dear Miss Johnston: Here is.a proof of your page for October, [find that we have space for only about fifty words of text Relative to your suggestion that your series of pages be extended, T would say thnat Mr Bok discussed the matter with me and conclu (it wonlel be est, not to do anything along that line at present, Poss bly he may change his view, but Tam inclined to think that he will not Very truly yours, Win V, Alexander Alexander put it more bluntly in a letter of July 25: The long delay was really very trying, inasmuch aswe are quite late on our October sue and every day's delay means considerable expense.” Johnston was able to publish only a small sa Frances Benjamin Jobuston, “The Foremost Women Photogwaphers in America: Zaida’ Ben-Yiesuf.” November 1901 No wonder Bok and Alexander were unenthusi about extendling the series. The essay profiling New York photographer Zaida Ben-Yosuf appeared in November there were again some difficulties regarding the publication of the final article in the series, an essay devoted to Chicagoan Elizabeth Brownell." The agreement hetween Johnston and the Journal had stipulated that she would hot have an article in the December issue was (0 be filled with holiday feat required, therefore, that the final article be carried over for a month Jolnsta ns to have tried appealing to Bok him- seif regarding continuation of the series.". These dis- cussions came to naught, and the profiles of “The most Women Photographers in America” endes the January 1902 article on Brownell. Johnston's next correspondence with The Ladies" Home Journal dates from November 1902 and has to do with photographs of ne Page House” ~ an entirely dlifferent matter." Thus, pling of the work she had taken to Paris, Neverth provides a vital perspective on how female photographers were seen in their own day specially significant resource to photohistorians try— v — Ome JADIES|HOME JOURNAL i] The Foremost Wouten Photographers in Frances Benjamin Johnston, “The Foremost Women Photographers i America: Eabeth Brose," January 1902 ing to reconstruct lost or overlooked carcers, Most sig- nificantly, perhaps, it shows the willingness of America’s leading women’s magazine to embrace photography as fa pursuit appropriate to the "New Woman. NOTES 1. Clarence Bloomfield Moore, "Women Experts in Photog: phy.” Cosmopolitan 14 (March 1805), 581 2. ‘The Kodak Gitt's physieal resemblance 1 he Gibson Girl is obvious. 3. See Richard Whelan, “Are Women Better Photographers Than Men?” Artnras 79 (October 1980), S088, J. For a detailed stucly of Johnston's Paris exhibition, see Bronwyn A.F. Griffith (ed), Aanbassaday of Pragss: Amer 1900-1901 (Giverny IL). See also Judith ‘ean Women Phaingraphers in Paris, France: Musée d'Art Américain, 2 Fryer Davids; Wanmar's Camera We Daum, N.C. and London: Duke University Press, 1998), 74. The Ladies Home Journal was the first Amesican magazine 1 break the fone million circulation mark, in 1905, spondence from Kin Rorby Fraser Reader Service Balt Ladies" Hon Jour, May 10, 2000.) By 1900 thirteen pe cent of the 3380 photographers documented by the national census were women, (David, 76) (Email corre 14, 15. 16. 19. 20. Special thanks to Bridget andl Heinz Henisch for bringing this image to my attention, an example of which is repro: duced in their book, Pave Pleawires: Barly Photography ‘ad Humor (University Park: The Pennsslvania State Unie versity Press, 1998), 158. Italso appears in Points of View The Sereograph in America—a Cultural History, elite by Ealward W. Earle (Rochester, NXVi The Visual Studies Workshop Press, 1979), 79 Sev, for instance, Marian Page, “Frances Benjamin Joli: son’s Architectural Photographs,” vt and Andiques 2, no. 4 (JAugust 1979), 64 Fellow 1 student Elizabeth Sykester provided! the initial contact with the See Jennifer A. Watts, Frances Benjamin Johnston, The Huntington Library Portrait Collection,” History of Photography 19, no, 3 (Autumn 1995), 261, note % (Oral tradition, based on comments Johnston made late in life, long held that Frances's fast camera was a gift foam Easiman. However, her correspondence of 188 and 1800 states eleay that she Tied purchased a camer: Whelan, 86. Frank W Munsey’s Magi Crane, “American Women Photographers) ne LL (1894), 406, Constance W. Glenn and Leland Rice, Frances Benjamin Johnston, Women of Class and Staion (Long Beach: Long Beach, 1979), Frances Benjamin Johnston, The White Howse (Washinge ton: Gibson Brothers, 1893), five administrations: Theodore Roosevelt snd Tale The series on Kohinoor Coal Mine andl Mammoth Cave ‘were both shot underground, requiring the use of highly volatile flash powder Moore, 586 ia Frances Benjamin Jobnston, "What a Woman Can Do With a Camera,” The Ladies’ Home fournal (hereafter Lf September 1807, 67. LH), receipt, March 4, 1897. Library of Congress, Mant Script Division: Frances Benjamin Johnsion Collection {[heteafter, LC: FE Collection}, veel 4, frame 000196. See Amy 8. Doherty, "Frances Benjamin Jobnston, 1864 1952," History of Photography 4,0. 2 (April 1980), $9. “What a Woman Can Do With & Cameri,” 6, Except for some sloppiness in hundling bills and Califor nia State Universit In all, she photographed Harrison, Cleveland, MeKinles accounts, Johnston seems 10 have possessed all these attributes, Mrs, C, Henrotin, leter to Frances Benjamin Johnston, April 12, 1904, LC: FBY Collection, reel 5, frame 000495. Alfred Stieglitz was, atthe time, the most active American promoter of Pieworialism and the acceptance of photog: raphy as a fine ar See S. Pector, program of the congress, datec| June 2, 1910, LC: FRY Collection, ree! 34, frames 4001504000 Cited in Doherty, 107, Iso the basis for Johnston's later picture pages Dolserty, 107, See William Alexander, leter to Frances Benjamin Job 7, 1900. 1.C: FB Collection, reel These notes we The Las’ Home Journal. onto,2%, William Alexander; leer to Frances Benjamin Jobnstn, 1 21, 1900, LC: FR] Colletion, reel 5, frames 100688, The seond and subsequent articles were ted“ most Women Photographers in Amer For a detailed disewsion of the work of the Alles, see Swanne L. Flynt, The Alen Sisters Picteral Phlagrpe, 1885-1920 (Deeield, Mass. Pocuatuck Valley Memorial Association, 2003) onically,Jolmston—ahow own 1 Fore 2%. 2». fe was 4 often mu dled up—incorreety sted Eva Lawrence W fied mame as Mis, Martin Sats rather than Seize. William Alexandr, eater 10 Frances Benjamin Johnston July 13, 1901. LC: FJ Collection, veel 6, frames 00005 ‘00051 2. SL, Willian Alexander, leter to Frances Benjamin Johnston, July 25, 1901. LC: FA] Collection, rel 6, frames 100085. ‘on0067 82, The question of whether Johnston had obtained the nec ‘say copstight permissions to publish some of the pho- logeaphs by these lst rwo women was a matter of great concern to Alexander and Bok 38. A letter from William Alexander to Johnsion dated December 13,1901, sppears to bes response 10 2 request ty on for an appointment with Bok. A meet ‘Weelnesday” is suggested (see William Alexander, eter to Frances Benjamin Johnston, December 13, 1901, LC FRY Collecion, ret 6, frame 000295). 3, See LC: FB Collection, reel 6, fame HOUSI2 22, a6 Nd Za 4 Everything you need in Veloran ginger bread turings and (ade sold hardwoods Frenne saros Period Bars, Bock tam Seren, Celings, Sosing Guzcbo Kit Weil bald to your speelicatons. supply Shy or a component pats. Complete custom dea serves. ‘Send for Catalog. Over 180 olor pe tures of products and design seas. $5.00. 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