Berenice Abbott

Abbott was born in Springfield, Ohio on July 17, 1898. She lived in Springfield even into her years of colledge. After colledge she had the wonderful opportunity to live with many artists in New York, specifically Greenwitch village. She lived with people such as O'Neill, Man Ray, and Sadakichi Hartmann. Because she was influenced by these people at an eary age where she had not yet fully known the path of her career, this definitley assisted her in choosing photography to be a life long persuit. In 1919, Abbott also nearly died of the influenza pandemic. Two years later, she went to live in Berlin where she studie sculpture and the arts. While she was here, in 1923 she become very tuned to her likes of photoraphy. This desire to take photos was fostered by Man Ray, who just needed a dark room assistant. As she was here, she grew to love the darkroom and impress Man Ray of her efficient work. As she started working in photography, she stated, "I took to photography like a duck to water. I never wanted to do anything else." She had found her career.

Man Ray slowly let her go deeper and deeper into photography until in 1926, Abbott had her first solo exhibition (her work was put into a gallery.) In this exhibition, Abbott specifically showd her intrest in portraits. She was able to shoot many people including Jean Cocteau, James Joyce, and others in Berlin. Right before Abbott had her first gallery on exhibit, Man Ray introduced her to the work of Eugene Atget. He was her main influence and inspiration throughout her whole photography career. Right before he died, she was also able to get a photo shoot in with him where he was her subject.

A bit later in her career she began a project that would take six years. This project was in New York and focused on the life of the city. It primarily was a "sociological study imbedded withing modernist aesthetic practices." This meaning Abbott wanted to show the reaction of human life with the urban city. This project focused on three main poimts: 1) The diverse people of the city. 2) The places they live, work, and play. 3) Their daily activities. This once more showed her early love for portraits. Abbott's ideas for this project were extremley influenced by Lewis Mumford's "historical writings from the early 1930s whcih divided American history into a series of technological eras." This project eventually was completed and considered a sucsess.

Abbott also created the "House of Photography" in 1974. This was ultimatley to advertise and sell her inventions she created to assist in taking and creating better photographs. Some of these inventions include a distortion easel, and the telescopic lighting pole, also known as the lighting pole. Not only did she create these cool and useful inventions, but Abbott also assisted in making important contributions to scientific photography. An example of this is in 1958 when Abbott captured a series of photographys for a high-school physics text-book.

To sum Berenice Abbot's photographic work, whe documented on film the "rise in development in technology and socitety." Her work also focused on architecture and landscape that specifically on New York. "This was all guided by her belief that a modern day invention such as the camera deserced to document the 20th century."

Berenice Abbott sadly died on December 9, 1991 in Monson, Maine.


I chose this image because it truly captures the essence of her project in New York. It also shows her intrest in architecture. I do like this picture because it is interesting to look at. I like the little details in the road such as the firehidrent, the people, and the trash in the gutter.


Man, I really wish I took this picture for my night assignment. As we discussed in class, it really shows how people (including me) do not like the dark. I wonder how much money is spent on artificial lighting and electricity just to make people feel comforted and safe. Light in photo is not only important.


This picture reminds me of Robert's picture of his piano teacher in her house last term. I like the cluteriness and complexity of this picture. Now cluterdness and complextiy rides a very fine line however. If there is a medium amount of clutter, it doesn't work, but if there is little or a ton of clutter, then it passes and looks great. This picture definitley embraces that idea.


This image is great because it basically is a bunch of portraits cramed into one. This is the reason that this photograph is interesting to look at. I absolutley love looking at each of the man's faces. Their faces are the only real tangible thing that is like a screen to their souls (that sounded wierd but you get the picture). I like looking at the face people chose to put on each day. Here, we get a good sence of emotion becasue the men in this bar are proably drunk :) ha ha


In this image, I like looking at how the past has carried into the future; specifically coca-cola. I love seeing how it was and how it is now. This picture is also a bit mysterious becasue you can't read the writing very clearly in the closest part of the picture. I like this image lastly becasue of the split in the road. It's just a nice simple little detail that makes me like this picture. O, and I also like looking at the building and the architecture which was one of her main focuses.