Berenice Abbott, Photographer: An Independent Vision
Grade 9 Up–This is a detailed biography of the photographer and innovator who felt that she made photographs and didn't just take them. Her 1930s pictures of New York City and of Paris socialites are still well known, and hers were the first images used to illustrate theories of physics. Her life was enthralling, even if her story ended, as Abbott claimed, 20 years before her death at 93, when she purchased a home in Maine and lived these years in near solitude. Not only have Abbott's honest portraits and remarkable cityscapes been celebrated since the 1960s, but some of her inventions are still used by photographers. The reproductions are outstanding, featuring crisp lines and deep detail. Quotes from Abbott offer foundational support for imaging workshops, though it is unclear whether high school students will be captivated enough by the prosaic writing to grasp fully the impact that this artist had on modern imaging techniques.–Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.