Gertrude Käsebier was one of the most influential photographers in the United States while the art was developing from the snapshot like portraits of photography’s infancy, to an art.
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| Gertrude Käsebier self portrait |
Käsebier is best known for her images of women, domestic scenes and Native Americans. She was a portrait photographer who was one of the founders of the Photo-Secession group.
Käsebier’s family and friends posed for her most celebrated work, a series of photographs on motherhood.
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Miss N |
She was also internationally famous, in 1900, Käsebier was elected to the British Linked Ring, one of the first two women to be honored in such a manner, along with Anne Brigman.
"My children and their children have been my closest thought, but from the first days of dawning individuality, I have longed unceasingly to make pictures of people...to make likenesses that are biographies, to bring out in each photograph the essential personality," Käsebier said.
Käsebier was born Gertrude Stanton on May 18, 1852 in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1864, Gertrude’s family moved to Brooklyn, New York.
Käsebier’s father, John W. Stanton, moved to Golden, Colorado for the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush in 1859. A year later, Käsebier and her mother moved to Golden and her father was elected the mayor of what was then the capital of the Colorado Territory.
In Colorado, Käsebier encountered Native Americans and when she saw them again later in life, she had to photograph them.
In 1864, Käsebier’s father suddenly died, so her mother moved to New York City and opened a boarding house and Käsebier moved to Bethlehem, Penn. and lived with her maternal grandmother from 1866-1870.
Käsebier went to school at the Moravian College for Women in Bethlehem.
Then in 1874, Gertrude Stanton married Edward Käsebier, a German immigrant and businessman. Käsebier got married on her 22nd birthday.
Käsebier had three children, Frederick William, born in 1875, Gertrude Elizabeth born in 1878 and Hermine Mathilde born in 1880.
Käsebier was miserable and hated her husband though. Divorce was not a possibility, so they separated in 1880. Käsebier showed her views on marriage in her photo of two oxen in bondage, “Yoked and Muzzled – Marriage.”
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| Yoked and Muzzled – Marriage |
Käsebier’s husband did financially support her though, including allowing her to attend art school at the age of 37.
After being a stay at home mother, from 1889 to 1896, Käsebier studied at the now famous, but then new, Pratt Institute of Art and Design in Brooklyn.
Käsebier was studying painting when she discovered photography. Käsebier quickly realized she loved photography and focused on it.
Acclaimed photographer Alfred Stieglitz recognized her talent and took her under his wing, putting many of her photos in the first issue of the magazine Camera Work.
Käsebier put her subjects in relaxed poses in natural light.
Käsebier also emphasized the play of light and dark and had her subjects will the frame so there was little dead space.
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Chester Beach portrait |
In the late 1890s, Käsebier saw the show “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West” and became interested in the Native Americans brought to New York for the show and their plight and took photographs of them.
Käsebier, contrary to the style at the time, removed the ceremonial dress of American Indians and instead focused on the individuals in her photos.
Käsebier befriended many of the Dakota Sioux in the show, including Samuel Lone Bear, who she corresponded with.
Käsebier’s first solo exhibition was held in 1896 at the Boston Camera Club and then in 1897, Käsebier opened her own studio in New York City.
The Philadelphia Photographic salons featured her work in 1898, 1899 and 1900 and Käsebier was featured in a number of magazines, like the Camera Work.
The Photo-Secession group was clique of American photographers that worked to promote the young medium as a fine art. The group also included Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Clarence H. White and Alvin Langdon Coburn.
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Alfred Stieglitz portrait |
In 1902, the photo secessionists broke away from the Camera Club of New York. Stieglitz, considered by many to be the father of American photography, founded the CCNY in 1884 and it was considered the authority on American photography.
The Photo Secession group pursued Pictorialism, manipulating negatives and printed photos to make them look like drawings, etchings and oil paintings. The art movements in Europe at the time inspired photo secession.
Käsebier began to focus on the commercial aspects of photography to support her family. This brought her into conflict with Stieglitz, who abhorred selling photographs.
Stieglitz began to speak out against her work, but still thought so highly of Käsebier that he included some of it in his exhibit on Pictorialists at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
In 1912, Käsebier become the first photographer to leave Photo Secession. In 1916, Käsebier founded Pictorial Photographers of America with White.
In 1917, Photo Secession had to disband because so many grew tired of the idealism of Stieglitz.
Käsebier was also a member of the Professional Photographers of New York and a cofounder of the Women’s Federation of the Photographer’s Association of America.
Käsebier’s portraits included famous artists and writers. Käsebier tried to campture a symbolic but intimate representation of her subjects.
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The Red Man |
Käsebier mostly used platinum prints, though she started using a gum-bichromate process in 1901. Käsebier was a Pictorialists, meaning she often manipulated her photographs to make them look more artistic.
Käsebier was also known for her skill in the printing process. She used her painting skills to manipulate photographs.
Today the University Gallery at the University of Delaware houses the largest collection of Käsebier’s work.
Because of her success, aspiring female photographers sought out Käsebier for her advise. Käsebier influenced the careers of prominent female photographers like Clara Sipprell Laura Gilpin and Consuelo Kanaga. In 1924, her daughter Hermine joined her in the portrait business.
In 1927, Käsebier retired and two years later a retrospective exhibition of her photography was held by the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. Käsebier died on Oct. 13, 1934 in New York City.
Käsebier started her photography career late in life, but made up for it quickly to make a big impression on American photography.
Works Cited
getty.edu
creativephotography.org
si.edu
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