Evening star., 1939-10-22

the LlDr0ry OF congress, WHcIc tkAcy
nent records Of the Fine Arts De-
partment. Made up Of photographs
of old homes and buildings Of archi-
tectural Interest In the deep South,
the exhibition Is the result Of work
done through . grant from the Car
negie Corp. Of New York.
Miss Johnston, one Of the earliest
members of the Arts Club Of Wash.
ington, as we'll as the Women's Ma.
tional Press Club, is well known IN
Capital circles, where her reputa-
ton as . news photographer won
her laurels before the dawn OF the
century. But many, who value Miss
Johnston's friendship, know little Of
her colorful life story which has led
her into the highways and byways
Of the world searching for inter-
esting subjects for her shadow
box"
Went 70 Paris.
After graduation from Notre
Dame Of Maryland In Baltimore at
an early age, Miss Johnston accom-
panied an aunt to Paris, where for
two years she studied at the Julien
Academy Of Art. While in the French
capital she came In contact with
personalities and customs which
gave to the latter part OF the 18th
century, q charm and individuality
which have now disappeared. Even
in those days, Miss Johnston de-
clares, she loved independence and
"the unusual" and her delight in
the bizarre and novel soon crystal
lized into a desire to really do some
thing" with her art.
This desire was realized In an un-
foreseen and unexpected way. Soon
after returning to Washington from
Paris, Miss Johnston and q group
Of young art lovers organized the
Art Students League. In this group
was a young woman, Elizabeth Syl-
vester, considered advanced and in
dependent at that time, as she wrote
for newspapers and magazines, work
in which women were still pioneer
ing. Some time after meeting Miss
Johnston, she moved from Washing
ton.
Frances" she said, II leave you
as q legacy my job" The job was
contributing to q news syndicate IN
New York. If you'll buy . camera
you'll do awfully we'll"
Frances pondered what to do. She
would write to George Eastman.
Her mother was from Rochester,
and during her many visits there
the young girl had known the East
man family very well.
Mr.. Eastman Answers.
II wrote to George Eastman:
Please send me a camera that will
be good for taking newspaper pic
tures?'" she said. His reply, con-
tinued Miss Johnston, was . nice
little camera that took pictures
5 by g."
Delighted with her new "toy,"
Miss Johnston started taking pic
lures which accompanied her ar
ticles to the news syndicate, as well
as leading magazine.
Tor three years after I started
my photography" she laughed. Il
didn't know q lens from q tripod"
In spite Of this Miss Johnston
made numerous interesting photo
graphs which she still has among
her scrapbook and files. She took
hundreds of pictures of prominent
personages. Of places in the Cap
ital and Of children.
II was very successful with chill
dren." she said. But I decided I
had to know something about the
technique of photography, so I went
to the Smithsonian and at the Ma
ton Museum worked for some time
for Prof. Thomas w. Smiley"
Got Fine Italian Lens.
In subsequent years Miss
Johnston Travelled abroad numerous
times. spending considerable time
in the places specializing in photog-
raphy. From France she brought
results of early experimentation in
color photography and from Italy
she procured the finest lens known
in that day.
II had . critical sense Is q GIRL
she said, and any success which
may have come to me in after
years attribute to my early years
abroad in the French schools"
Miss Johnston was one of a small
minority permitted to visit the
American fleet after the Spanish
American War and take photo
graphs aboard the ships. She was
the first photographer to visit Ad-
miral Dewey's flagship, the Olympia,
on its return from Manila, meeting
the warship In Naples, where she