Gertrude Käsebier

Gertrude Käsebier was born in the 19th Century but did not really start a career in photography until around 43. Myself being a late start into photography I can relate to the challenge.


Through a number of reasons Käsebier in 1895 decided on a career in photography and was working as an assistant to Samuel H. Lifshey where she learned to run a studio. One year later she exhibited around 150 images at the Boston Camera Club and later at the Pratt Institute. Despite this late start she become one of the most influential photographers of the 20th Century and helped pioneer photography as a career for women.

Käsebier is known for her desire to create portraits that appeared natural and revealed elements of the subjects natural character, focusing on expression and individuality. One of next exercises is facial expression so it will be interesting what I can learn from Käsebier's approach. One of the elements that I've read is that she tried to de-clutter her portrait images with a focus on on the face or stature of a person. This to me suggests a desire to isolate her subject from their surroundings, whether natural or in a studio.

Moma.org states (http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=3008) that "Käsebier generally printed in platinum or gum bichromate emulsions and frequently altered her photographs by retouching a negative or by rephotographing an altered print." This may explain why some of her images appear very dark. In fact a portrait taken of Chief Iron Tail was ripped up by him for being too dark but was happy following a second sitting. 

I've detailed below some images from the above site confirming the dark images that she produced and also the slightly stern look of her subjects; perhaps the facial expression captured reveals less of there character that what was intended.  However this look of her subjects is very much typical of portrait images produced around this period e.g. strong looking characters, thoughtful, composed and with determination but for me not that revealing of character, more putting up a front, perhaps a mask hiding their character from the prying lens, not wanting to reveal anything of their inner selves.

Though a founder member of Photo-Secession she eventually resigned, partly as a result of disagreeing with photographic practices followed and also as a result of being alienated by Alfred Stieglitz when previously receiving his praise. It is believed his change of heart toward her is as a result of her commercial success as a professional artist, believing that the art of photography should be performed for love of it, not the making of money.

Käsebier helped Charles White set up the group Pictorial Photographers of America,and its success eventually resulted in Stieglitz disbanding  Photo-Secession as he saw it has a direct rival but also as a challenge to his at the time artistic leadership. One of her well known images interestingly enough is of Stieglitz himself.

Her images of women and children were seen as timeless and helped shaped the way in which photographs are taken in the current way they are today.

The images at either end are self portraits of Käsebier herself.

Her success was seen as inspirational to many young female "wannabe" photographers whose inspiration helped many to launch very successful careers, this included Clara Sipprell, Consuelo Kanaga and Laura Gilpin.

What I find interesting about Käsebier is that whilst starting a career in photography quite late she received very quick acclaim from many successful photographers of the time and also helped move photography from an artistic activity performed mainly for love toward a professional and commercial occupation and helped pave the way for the next generation of women to pursue successful careers, something I would imagine was very difficult in the early 20th Century. She most certainly encouraged women to follow careers into photography, bith I think to be against a very difficult background for women wanting to work in this period.

Whilst I very much doubt I will revolutionize photography in any way, I am pleased to recognise that such a late starter could achieve such acclaim in a late career. This suggests there is hope for us all should this be what we want to achieve. Believing in one self and one's work combined with a willingness to learn and develop then perhaps there is much that can be achieved, age certainly seems no barrier.