Ber(e)nice Abbott, Photographer (July 17, 1898 - December 9, 1991) U.S.A

(July 17, 1898 - December 9, 1991) U.S.A
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Born in Springford, Ohio, after graduating from Ohio State University, in 1918 she moved to New York to study journalism, but eventually decided on sculpture and painting. In 1921 she moved to Paris to study with sculptor Emile Bourdelle. In 1923 - 1925, she worked also with the surrealist photographer, Man Ray, before opening her own studio in Paris. She photographed the leading artists in France and had her first exhibition at the "Au Sacre du Printemps" Gallery in 1926.

Abbott returned to the United States in 1929 and embarked on a project to photograph New York. In 1935 she managed to obtain funding for this venture from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and its Federal Art Project. In 1936 Abbott joined with Paul Strand to establish the Photo League. Its initial purpose was to provide the radical press with photographs of trade union activities and political protests. Later the group decided to organize local projects where members concentrated on photographing working class communities.

Abbott's photographs of New York appeared in the exhibition, "Changing New York", at the Museum of the City in 1937. In the late 1950s Abbott began to take photographs that illustrated the laws of physics.

Longtime partner of essayist Elizabeth McCausland, Berenice Abbott died in Monson, Maine.

Source:
Steven Hogan and Lee Hudson, Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia, Henry Holt and Company, 1998,
 http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bioa1/abbema01.html

Books:

Changing New York (1939)
Guide to Better Photography (1941)

George Eastman

Entrepreneur
b. July 12, 1854
d. March 14, 1932

“What we do during our working hours determines what we have; what we do in our leisure hours determines what we are.”

George Eastman is the father of modern photography and the inventor of motion picture film. He founded the Eastman Kodak Company and became a philanthropist to organizations involved in technology, medicine, music and theater.

Born in Waterville, New York, Eastman and his family moved to Rochester. His father died when George was 7. Eastman dropped out of school at age 14, and took a job with an insurance company to support his mother and two sisters, one of whom was severely disabled.

Eastman began working in banking, but it was his passion for photography that made him a household name. His ingenuity and marketing savvy transformed photography from a pricey hobby to an affordable, popular pastime.

In the business world, Eastman was a leader. His company was among the first to offer its employees retirement and insurance benefits, as well as profit sharing.

Eastman is nearly as famous for his philanthropy. In addition to contributing millions to the University of Rochester, M.I.T. and the Tuskegee Institute, he established and supported the Eastman School of Music, one of the nation’s preeminent music institutions.

Despite his achievements in the world of photography, very few pictures of Eastman exist. He was a shy, unassuming man who steered clear of publicity.

In 1946, Eastman’s home became the George Eastman International Museum, housing the world’s leading collections of photography and film.

In the final years of his life, Eastman suffered from severe pain caused by a degenerative disorder of the spine. At age 77, depressed over his inability to lead an active life, Eastman killed himself with a gunshot to the heart. His suicide note read, "To my friends. My work is done, why wait?”