Women Making History: Object One

[misspatty]

Sorry for the delay guys, work has been killing me this week. Hopefully everyone has had a chance to get started. Let's discuss object one! 

[enchanted]

I'm only about halfway done with the first object, but I love the way this series is done, so far. I already knew of Beals from a photojournalism course I took in college, but it was basically just a timeline and her name was just one in a list of early photographers. I like learning more about her and the impact she had.

[blurnette989]

Not going to lie, really loved her cat photos. Like it's just comforting to know people have always thoughts cats in outfits are funny.

On a more serious note- one thing I found really interesting was Prof. LaPore's (think that's her name) description of her students not being able to imagine the suffrage movement. Maybe it's because I've always been politically minded, but I immediately think of women in white with lots of sashes and big buttons- large marches etc. It's really sad if the collective memory of most people doesn't have an image of the suffrage movement. But then again, I suppose it shouldn't surprise us, because it was a movement entirely for women.

[CurlieWhirlie]

OMG the cat photos, BEST.

I thought it was interesting that Jessie herself was in a lot of her own photos, like she was consciously capturing every day people and situations and including herself in that story. And some of her photos were like a hybrid of posed and out-in-the-world, which was cool.

The collective memory loss of the suffrage movement was very interesting, especially in comparison to the Civil Rights movement, which everyone does have very vivid images for in their minds (march on Washington, Selma, fire hoses into crowds, Dr. King's speeches, lunch counter sit-ins, etc.). That was a movement entirely for non-white rights, so why would that enjoy a more solid place in our shared story we tell about ourselves, but not women's suffrage?

[blurnette989]

So my dad is photographer and collects antique cameras. I asked him if he had any cameras like the one Jessie TB had and he showed me a couple. Thought it was neat to share!

This is a camera that works like hers from the 1880s. My dad couldn't find an example of her first camera, so he said it was likely a small production of that camera.


The kind of film she'd have used

[blurnette989]

These are brownies from about the same era. These would have been steps up from the camera she won, but might have been the next kind of camera she purchased or used on her own.