Pioneers - Photography by women
Women have been active as photographers since the invention of photography in 1839. They work in all genres and play a pioneering role in many ways. Women own successful photo studios, experiment with new styles, focus their lenses on new subjects and risk their lives to report on wars.
Yet women's contributions to photography have long remained underexposed. Only recently has more attention been paid to this. Pioneers focuses on the innovative work of 43 women who are truly pioneers in photography. The women we show in the exhibition have all played an important role in photography in their own way, as pioneers, innovators, forerunners. In many cases they were progressive and revolutionary with what they did.
The exhibition with almost 200 original photos focuses on well-known and lesser-known photographers such as Emmy Andriesse, Eve Arnold, Eva Besnyö, Augusta Curiel, Bertien van Manen, Gerda Taro and Alexine Tinne.
All photographs in this exhibition come from the National Archives' collection of 15 million photographs.
The prints shown are original vintage prints unless otherwise stated.