Laura Gilpin

author · photographer

American^[1] b. 22 April 1891, Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.^[1] d. 30 November 1979, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.^[1] active 1916–1979

Laura Gilpin (1891–1979) was a prominent American photographer and chronicler of the American Southwest. She began her formal training in photography at the Clarence H. White School of Photography in New York City in 1916 under the guidance of Gertrude Käsebier, where she initially practiced Pictorialism. After returning to Colorado, she engaged in commercial architectural photography and published various guidebooks. From 1946 to 1968, Gilpin dedicated herself to documenting the Navajo (Diné) people, producing a significant body of work that culminated in her seminal book 'The Enduring Navaho' (1968). Her work is noted for its empathetic portrayal of native peoples and their landscapes, often capturing intimate portraits and daily activities. She was recognized as one of the outstanding photographers of the twentieth century and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 1970.^[1,2,3]

• Navajo culture
• Southwestern landscape
• Native American life
• Pictorialism