Anne Wardrope Brigman

author · photographer

American[1] b. 3 December 1869, Nu‘uanu Pali, Hawaii, U.S.[1] d. 8 February 1950, El Monte, California, U.S.[1] active 1901–1950

Anne Wardrope Brigman (1869–1950) was an American photographer and poet, notable for being one of the original members of the Photo-Secession movement in America. Born in Hawaii to missionary parents, she moved to California as a teenager. She became a prominent figure in the bohemian art community of the San Francisco Bay Area, befriending figures like Jack London and Charles Keeler. Her photography is characterized by its pictorialist style, often featuring allegorical studies and female nudes set in naturalistic landscapes, particularly in the Sierra Nevada. Brigman was known for her deliberate artistic choices, including extensive manual touch-ups of negatives with paints and pencils to achieve a painterly effect. She was recognized as an artist both in the United States and internationally, receiving awards and exhibiting her work in major galleries and museums.[1,2,3]

  • female nude
  • pictorialism
  • allegory
  • nature

Works by Anne Wardrope Brigman

  • 1949 Songs of a Pagan Caxton Printers, Ltd. · book · English A collection of poetry and photographs published a year before her death.
  • Wild Flute Songs Caxton Printers, Ltd. · book · English A second volume of photographs and poems not printed in her lifetime.

Exhibitions

  • 1904 Solo exhibit Palette, Lyre and Pen Club of Oakland, Oakland · solo
  • 1904 Solo exhibit Vickery, Atkins & Torrey Gallery, San Francisco · solo
  • 1904 Solo exhibit Paul Elder Gallery, San Francisco · solo
  • 1908 Special exhibit for her photographs Secession Club, New York · solo
  • 1936 Solo exhibition Bothwell and Cooke Galleries · solo

Awards

  • 1909 Gold Medal Alaska-Yukon Exposition
  • First silver medal Birmingham Photographic Society

References

  1. Anne Brigman. Wikipedia. 2026 link
  2. Kathleen Pyne. Anne Brigman: the Photographer of Enchantment. Yale University Press. 2020 link
  3. Anne Brigman. Songs of a Pagan. Caxton Printers, Ltd.. 1949 link