Abbott, Berenice (1898-1991), was one of the most important American photographers of the 1900’s. Abbott first gained recognition in Paris during the 1920’s for her portraits of famous artists and writers. From 1929 to 1939, she concentrated on images of a changing New York City, capturing the beauty and complexity of the city. In 1939, Abbott turned to science, photographing such subjects as magnetic fields and efforts to grow penicillin cultures. Her images rank among the masterpieces of scientific photography. Abbott was also responsible for preserving and publishing the photographs of the French documentary photographer Eugene Atget. Through Abbott’s work, Atget gained recognition as one of the world’s great photographers.
Abbott was born Bernice Abbott on July 17, 1898, in Springfield, Ohio. She moved to Europe in 1921 to study sculpture. There she adopted the French spelling Berenice and used it for the rest of her life. Abbott began working for the American artist and photographer Man Ray in Paris in 1923. Ray taught her basic photography as his assistant. She set up her own portrait studio in Paris in 1926, creating classic images of such famous subjects as the French writer Jean Cocteau and the Irish writer James Joyce.
Abbott returned to the United States in 1929. From 1935 to 1958, she taught photography at the New School for Social Research (now the New School) in New York City, establishing one of the first college photography programs in the United States. Abbott also served as picture editor of Science Illustrated magazine from 1944 to 1949. Her books include Changing New York (1939), A Guide to Better Photography (1941), and The World of Atget (1964). Abbott died on Dec. 9, 1991.
