New exhibit: 'Women Photographers at National Geographic'

10.09.00

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NEW YORK — The adventures and achievements of four generations of women photographers at National Geographic are celebrated in a new exhibition opening Oct. 5 at Newseum/NY in midtown Manhattan.

Women Photographers at National Geographic showcases some of the most powerful, intimate and dramatic photojournalism and photographic art as it chronicles the Society's long — yet little-celebrated — tradition of women photographers. Past and present legends such as Eliza Scidmore, Dickey Chapelle and Jodi Cobb are among the 40 photographers represented in the exhibit.

"This exhibit is a look back in history through the eyes of some of the world's most talented female photographers," said Joe Urschel, executive director of the Newseum. "With powerful and compelling images, the women of National Geographic have documented the world in their own unique way."

Of the 70 photographers who regularly shoot for the magazine, 14 are women. Only one — Jodi Cobb — is a staff photographer (the others are free-lance). Since the early 1900s, the total number of male staff photographers stands around 50; the total number of women staff photographers is four.

"Along with the perils and discomforts shared by every professional traveler, women all too often face other obstacles unique to their gender," said Newseum/NY Vice President Tracy Quinn. "This exhibit gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, commitments and sacrifices women photographers have made over the last century."

The exhibit is based on the book of the same name by the National Geographic Society, (National Geographic Books, ISBN 0-7922-7689-2, $40, September 2000). The book is written by National Geographic senior staff writer Cathy Newman, with a foreword by Tipper Gore, former news photographer for the Tennessean. Historian Naomi Rosenblum, author of "History of Women Photographers," wrote the introduction.

"To be a woman photographer for National Geographic is to complicate the complicated," Newman writes in the book. "Not only does a woman face the same dangers and adversities on assignment as her male colleagues, she often has to juggle additional commitments to home, spouse and children. Yet sometimes doors open more readily to a woman, giving her access to closed cultures and customs, such as purdah in India or the geisha in Japan, that a man would never see."

The exhibit, which runs Oct. 5, 2000 through Jan. 27, 2001, features more than 60 black-and-white and color images from the archives of the National Geographic Society. Dazzling images capture the triumph, tragedy, and sheer, simple wonder of our world in all its astonishing variety: From Eliza Scidmore, whose 1914 hand-tinted portrait immortalizes a Japanese child framed by peonies, to Dorothy Hosmer, whose pictures documented her 1937 bicycle tour through Romania – and almost went unpublished because a prim male editor found the idea very unladylike.

Personal portfolios from some of the most acclaimed and prolific photojournalists in the field today are included in the book and the exhibit:

Annie Griffiths Belt, who describes the time she dressed as a man to photograph an Orthodox Jewish ceremony in Israel that was closed to women. Says Belt: "My goal was not to deceive or disturb. It was to do my job without being noticed."

Sisse Brimberg, whorecalls a trip to Gaza and a visit to a Bedouin camp where she sat on carpets in a tent and was served tea together with the men. Says Brimberg: "I could see the women outside the tent. Their eyes followed every move I made, and I knew I was in a special situation because of my profession."

Jodi Cobb, a staff photographer for the Society for 23 years renowned for her coverage of geishas in Japan and Saudi women. Says Cobb: "I never had the luxury of taking a chance that could result in failure. ... I had to do a lot of jobs that didn't interest me just to prove I could do the stuff that the guys did. I could hang out of a helicopter. I could go underwater. I could go by horseback or whitewater raft. ... It wasn't where I was as a photographer, but I felt I couldn't stand up and say, 'I don't want to do that' because I felt that would limit more women's chances."

Karen Kasmauski, whodescribes how at six months pregnant she was assigned a story on viruses. Because she did not want to expose her unborn baby to any harm, she began the domestic part of her coverage and deferred the risky parts until after the birth of her daughter. Soon after she gave birth, Kasmauski resumed her assignment and traveled to Puerto Rico to shoot heroin addicts for the story.

Maria Stenzel, who spent 50 days on an Antarctic icebreaker with scientists on a search for secrets locked inside a winter sea. The trip out of New Zealand, which took her 1,300 miles from the South Pole, began with five days on a roiling sea to get to the sea ice. "I was sick all the way," says Stenzel. Described as one "who specializes in adventure," Stenzel says: "I've always preferred a tent to a hotel room." Where others see hardship and discomfort, "I find solace in landscape."

For interviews with any of the photographers listed above, please call Sheila Owens or Jeffrey Pattit at the numbers provided on the previous page.

"Meet the Photographer" programs at Newseum/NY

Karen Kasmauski, Annie Griffiths Belt and Jodi Cobb will present their photos and discuss their experiences as photojournalists during programs scheduled at Newseum/NY. These events are free and are open to the public:

"The Human Condition With Karen Kasmauski" — 1 p.m., Nov. 2

"Capturing Intimacy With Annie Griffiths Belt" —1 p.m., Dec. 15

"In Search of Beauty With Jodi Cobb" — 1 p.m., Jan. 26

Newseum/NY is a photojournalism gallery located in the heart of midtown Manhattan at 57th and Madison. It features exhibits, lectures, films and other activities to broaden the public's understanding of journalism and First Amendment issues. Newseum/NY is a branch of the Newseum, the only interactive museum of news. The 72,000 square-foot Newseum, located in Arlington, Va., takes visitors behind the scenes to see and experience how and why news is made. Both Newseum and Newseum/NY are funded by The Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan, international foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. Admission is free to both museums. Newseum/NY is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information call 212/317-7596 or visit us online at www.newseum.org.