Born On This Day

Imogen Cunningham was born on this day in 1883. She is one of the major photographers of the 20th century. Imogen studied chemistry at the University of Washington, where she wrote a 1907 thesis on the chemical process of photography. One of her first photographs was a 1906 nude self-portrait, taken on an isolated spot on the UW campus with a 4" x 5" mail-order camera.

After graduation, Imogen worked for Seattle photographer Edward Curtis, who documented the American Indian culture. She established her own studio in 1910, becoming one of the very first professional woman photographers.

In 1932, Imogen, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and others, founded Group f/64, which helped to establish photography as an art form. After several of her photographs of dancer Martha Graham were published by Vanity Fair in the early 30s, the magazine employed her to photograph many celebrities and political figures of the time.

Imogen became widely known for her portraits, flower images, and nudes. She worked as a photographer until her death at the age of ninety-three in 1976. Learn more.