30 For 30: Women of Vision
To celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re featuring items from the PWP Archives* each day on this blog. In looking back, we see not only where we started, but how far photography, women, and the world have come since 1975.
In 1982, Dianora Niccolini, PWP’s first president, edited Women of Vision, an anthology featuring the work of twenty women photographers. These included Barbara Morgan, Ruth Orkin, Lilo Raymond, Suzanne Opton, Eva Rubinstein, and Maggie Sherwood, founder of the Floating Foundation of Photography. Some are familiar names today, others less so. All were photographed by Stephanie Cohen, who also took many iconic images of PWP, and contributed her design skills to early PWP publications.
In that day, word was spread by press releases and invitations printed on paper. Below is a release for a book signing and exhibition of Cohen’s portraits aboard the Floating Foundation of Photography in 1982. It promised that many of the artists would be present, and that there would be “special entertainment featuring Jon Maurice, singer and actor.”
1982 press release for book signing and exhibition at the Floating Foundation of Photography
Hand drawn invite for the Women of Vision event at the Floating Foundation of Photography
At the time, it was hard for women to get their work into print. Niccolini wanted to honor them as individual artists, and also as part of the larger talent force that was women in photography.
Dianora Niccolini in Women of Vision, photo ©Stephanie Cohen
– Catherine Kirkpatrick
*The PWP Archives were acquired by the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, & Rare Book Library of Emory University
Links to all the 30 For 30 Women’s History Month blogs:
Help Me Please! Hopelessly Waiting…
Exhibition and Anger
Spreading the Word
Early Ads On Paper
Cards and Letters
A Lady, a Truck, a Singing Dog
Women of Vision
A Show of Their Own
Taking It To the Street
Sisters of Sister Cities
Sold!
Education and More
Face of a Changing City
Digital Enabling
Expanding Walls and Other Possibilities
A Wonderful Life–Lady Style
Branding–the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Great Change Sweeps In
PWP Goes Live!
Honoring the Upcoming
Continuity Through Change
Reaching Out
Eye a Woman Naked
Rapidly Multiplying Alternative Options
Women In the World, As Themselves
Kudos!
Friends Who Overcame and Inspired
Reversing the Gaze
Photography and More
Chicks Telling It Like It Is
Looking Back With Thanks