Frances Benjamin Johnston – A Pioneer Woman Photojournalist
Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864 – 1952), full-length self-portrait, seated in front of fireplace, facing left, holding cigarette in one hand and a beer stein in the other, in her Washington, D.C. studio, January 1, 1896.
Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864-1952) was an American photographer and photojournalist whose career lasted for almost half a century. She is most known for her portraits, images of southern architecture, and various photographic series featuring African Americans and Native Americans at the turn of the twentieth century.
With her partner, Mattie Edwards Hewitt (1869 – 1956), a successful freelance home and garden photographer in her own right, Frances opened a studio in New York City in 1913. Mattie wrote Frances love letters throughout their relationship, chronicled in The Woman Behind the Lens: The Life and Work of Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1864–1952. Many early letters focused on Hewitt’s admiration for Johnston’s work, but as their romance progressed, they increasingly expressed her love. (Wikipedia)
Self-portrait by Johnston, dressed as a man, sporting a fake mustache and holding a bicycle, ca. 1890.