Alma Lavenson
Encyclopedia
Alma Ruth Lavenson was a leading American photographer of the first half of the 20th century. She worked with and was close friends with Ansel Adams
, Imogen Cunningham
, Edward Weston
and other photographic masters of the period.
The daughter of a dry-goods businessman, Lavenson apparently decided to become a photographer on her own after enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1915. Her first photos were snapshots of family and friends taken with a small Kodak camera. She learned to develop and print her negatives by watching a technician at an Oakland drugstore in the early 1920s. Her first published photograph, an image of Zion Canyon
entitled "The Light Beyond," appeared on the cover of Photo-Era magazine in December 1927. In her early work she concentrated the geometric forms of structures and their placement in the landscape. She frequently exhibited in photographic salons and became a member of the influential Pictorial Photographers of America.
In 1930 she was introduced to Adams, Cunningham and Weston by art collector Albert Bender. Two years later she was invited to participate in the famous Group f/64
show at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, although there is some uncertainty about whether she should actually be called a "member" of Group f/64. The announcement for the show at the de Young Museum listed seven photographers in Group f/64 and said "From time to time various other photographers will be asked to display their work with Group f/64. Those invited for the first showing are: Preston Holder
, Consuelo Kanaga
, Alma Lavenson, Brett Weston
." However, in 1934 the group posted a notice in Camera Craft magazine that said "The F:64 group includes in its membership such well known names as Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke
, John Paul Edwards
, Imogene [sic] Cunningham
, Consuela [sic] Kanaga and several others." Lavenson was not mentioned by name in that notice, but her name is always listed as being associated with the group because of her place in the first exhibition.
In 1933 Lavenson began taking a series of photographs of abandoned buildings in the Mother Lode
region of California. She continued documenting the remains of the Gold Rush
period for more than two decades, and her images are now noted both for their artistic beauty and as a record of a vanishing piece of the California landscape.
Lavenson’s “Self-Portrait (with Hands) was one of the most admired images of the 20th century. In 1996-1997, this photograph was fashioned into a huge banner and adorned the entrance to the New York Public Library
’s exhibition on the history of women photographers. In 1999, the University of California
hosted a major retrospective on the photography of Lavenson and Imogen Cunningham., which used the self-portrait as a central image. The self-portrait is used as a cover photograph for the book 101 Years of California Photography (1992). Recently a print of Lavenson’s self-portrait was sold at auction for more than $110,000.
Alma Lavenson remained mostly an amateur photographer, but her inspiration has been a continuing influence on generations of women photographers.
Ansel Adams
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park....
, Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer known for her photography of botanicals, nudes and industry.-Life and career:...
, Edward Weston
Edward Weston
Edward Henry Weston was a 20th century American photographer. He has been called "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers…" and "one of the masters of 20th century photography." Over the course of his forty-year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of...
and other photographic masters of the period.
The daughter of a dry-goods businessman, Lavenson apparently decided to become a photographer on her own after enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1915. Her first photos were snapshots of family and friends taken with a small Kodak camera. She learned to develop and print her negatives by watching a technician at an Oakland drugstore in the early 1920s. Her first published photograph, an image of Zion Canyon
Zion Canyon
Zion Canyon is a deep and narrow gorge in southwestern Utah, United States, carved by the North Fork of the Virgin River...
entitled "The Light Beyond," appeared on the cover of Photo-Era magazine in December 1927. In her early work she concentrated the geometric forms of structures and their placement in the landscape. She frequently exhibited in photographic salons and became a member of the influential Pictorial Photographers of America.
In 1930 she was introduced to Adams, Cunningham and Weston by art collector Albert Bender. Two years later she was invited to participate in the famous Group f/64
Group f/64
Group f/64 was a group of seven 20th century San Francisco photographers who shared a common photographic style characterized by sharp-focused and carefully framed images seen through a particularly Western viewpoint...
show at the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, although there is some uncertainty about whether she should actually be called a "member" of Group f/64. The announcement for the show at the de Young Museum listed seven photographers in Group f/64 and said "From time to time various other photographers will be asked to display their work with Group f/64. Those invited for the first showing are: Preston Holder
Preston Holder
Preston Holder was an American archaeologist and photographer.In 1930 he entered the University of California, Berkeley, to study anthropology. While there he met photographer Willard Van Dyke after writing an assignment about his photographs...
, Consuelo Kanaga
Consuelo Kanaga
Consuelo Delesseps Kanaga was an American photographer and writer who became well known for her photographs of African-Americans.-Life:...
, Alma Lavenson, Brett Weston
Brett Weston
Brett Weston was an American photographer and grew up in LA. He was the second son of photographer Edward Weston. Van Deren Coke, former curator of the San Francisco Museum of Art referred to Brett Weston as the "child genius of American photography." Brett began taking photographs in 1925 and...
." However, in 1934 the group posted a notice in Camera Craft magazine that said "The F:64 group includes in its membership such well known names as Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Willard Van Dyke
Willard Van Dyke
Willard Van Dyke was an American filmmaker and photographer who believed that photography could have a major influence on the world....
, John Paul Edwards
John Paul Edwards
John Paul Edwards was an American photographer and a member of the famous Group f/64.He was born in Minnesota on June 5, 1884, and moved to California in 1902. It is not known how he became interested in photography, but by the early 1920s he was a member of the Oakland Camera Club, the San...
, Imogene [sic] Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham
Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer known for her photography of botanicals, nudes and industry.-Life and career:...
, Consuela [sic] Kanaga and several others." Lavenson was not mentioned by name in that notice, but her name is always listed as being associated with the group because of her place in the first exhibition.
In 1933 Lavenson began taking a series of photographs of abandoned buildings in the Mother Lode
Mother Lode
Mother lode is a principal vein or zone of veins of gold or silver ore. The term probably came from a literal translation of the Spanish veta madre, a term common in old Mexican mining...
region of California. She continued documenting the remains of the Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
period for more than two decades, and her images are now noted both for their artistic beauty and as a record of a vanishing piece of the California landscape.
Lavenson’s “Self-Portrait (with Hands) was one of the most admired images of the 20th century. In 1996-1997, this photograph was fashioned into a huge banner and adorned the entrance to the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
’s exhibition on the history of women photographers. In 1999, the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
hosted a major retrospective on the photography of Lavenson and Imogen Cunningham., which used the self-portrait as a central image. The self-portrait is used as a cover photograph for the book 101 Years of California Photography (1992). Recently a print of Lavenson’s self-portrait was sold at auction for more than $110,000.
Alma Lavenson remained mostly an amateur photographer, but her inspiration has been a continuing influence on generations of women photographers.