What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women,1843-1999

What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843-1999
A Hands-on Reading Room Exhibition, Henry Long Room

Organized in collaboration with  10 x 10 Photobooks

March 2-4, 2023

The Boston Athenaeum is pleased to present What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843-1999, a hands-on reading room showcasing a global selection of photobooks by female photographers from photography’s beginnings to the dawn of the 21st century. 

RELATED PROGRAMS

Exploring Photobooks by Women 
Leventhal Meeting Room 

March 2, 2023, 6-8pm

Free, Registration HERE, Wine and Cheese Reception to Follow

Join us for an exciting conversation on the history of photobooks by women. Panelists include Anne Havinga (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Estrellita and Yousuf Karsh Chair, Department of Photography), Professor Kim Sichel (Boston University, Professor of History of Art & Architecture), Harvey Silverglate, and Dr. Stephanie Tung (Peabody Essex Museum Byrne Family Curator of Photography). 

Spotlight Talks

Hosted in the Henry Long Room

Free with Athenaeum admission. Registration not required. 

Throughout the event speakers will present short talks on a photobook in the Reading Room. 

March 2

11am Kristen Gresh, MFA, Boston, Estrellita and Yousuf Karsh Senior Curator of Photographs

Lola Álvarez Bravo, Acapulco en el Sueño (Alcapulco in the Dream)

12pm Karen Haas, MFA, Boston, Lane Senior Curator of Photographs 

Frances Benjamin Johnston, The Hampton Album 

1pm Joanne Lukitsh, MassArt Professor

Julia Margaret Cameron, Lord Tennyson and His Friends

2pm Gabrielle Reed, MassArt Librarian

Sophie Calle, L’Hotel 

3pm Lisa McCarty, Northeastern Photography Professor

Nell Dorr, Of Night and Day

4pm Caitlin Pereira, MassArt Library Visual Resources Director

Imogen Cunningham, Imogen Cunningham: Photographs

March 3

11am Alisa Prince, Boston University Postdoc

Carrie Mae Weems, In These Islands: South Carolina-Georgia

12pm Billie Mandle, MassArt Photography Professor

JEB, Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lesbians

1pm Lynne Allen, Boston University Fine Arts Professor

Mary A. Bartlett, Mother Goose of ‘93

2pm Delaney Burns, Boston University MFA student

Anna Atkins, Sun Gardens: Victorian Photograms

3pm Toni Pepe, Boston University Photography Professor

Jo Spence, Putting Myself in the Picture

4pm Sybylla Smith, Independent curator and educator

Donna Ferrato, Living with the Enemy

March 4 

11am Morgan Snoap, Boston University PhD student

Angèle Etoundi Essamba, Passion

12pm Renee Brown, Boston University PhD student

Berenice Abbott, Changing New York

1pm Jesse Dritz, Boston University PhD student

Abigail Heyman, Growing Up Female

2pm Karl Baden, Boston College Photography Professor

Nan Goldin, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency

Children’s Library

Join us in the children’s library for a display of Children’s photobooks. 

Story Time

Saturday, March 4, 11:00am

Families with children of all ages are invited to a special story time with photobooks, rhymes, and songs.