Margaret Bourke-White
author · photographer
Margaret Bourke-White (1904–1971) was a pioneering American documentary photographer and photojournalist. She began her career in architectural and commercial photography, notably documenting industrial sites like steel mills and the construction of the Chrysler Building. In 1930, she became the first Western photographer granted official access to document Soviet Union industrial sites during the first five-year plan, producing the book 'Eyes on Russia' (1931). She later transitioned into photojournalism, working for Fortune magazine and becoming one of the first female photojournalists at Life magazine. Her notable works include documenting the Dust Bowl, the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II, and the violence of the India-Pakistan partition. She was a trailblazer in combat photography, being the first American woman to fly on a combat mission with the U.S. Army Air Forces.[4,5]
- industrial capitalism
- Soviet Union industrialization
- Dust Bowl
- WWII liberation
- India-Pakistan partition
Works by Margaret Bourke-White
- 1931 Eyes on Russia First book by the photographer.
- 1942 Shooting the Russian War
- 1963 Portrait of Myself Autobiography.
Awards
- 1964 Honor Roll Award
- 1990 National Women's Hall of Fame