Gertrude Käsebier in Maine c. 1913

Clarence White made this portrait of Gertrude Käsebier in Maine using a photographic process. Käsebier was a contemporary of White's, and a fellow photographer. Together, they were members of the Photo-Secession movement. Looking at this image, we might consider what it meant for women to be professional photographers at the turn of the century. Photography was becoming increasingly popular, and photographic societies like Photo-Secession played a key role in promoting photography as a fine art. Käsebier’s and White’s participation challenged the traditional dominance of men in the art world. Further research into the archives of Photo-Secession might reveal more about the politics of gender and the ways in which these photographers challenged established social norms through their art.