About the book
A trailblazer for women photographers in the South, North Carolina’s Bayard Wootten (1875–1959) overcame economic hardship, gender discrimination, and the obscurity of a small-town upbringing to become the state’s most significant early female photographer. This advocate of equality for women combined an artistic vision of photography with determination and a love of adventure to forge a distinguished career spanning half a century.
Originally trained as an artist, Wootten worked in photography’s pictorial tradition, emphasizing artistic effect in her images at a time when realistic and documentary photography increasingly dominated the medium. Traveling throughout North Carolina and surrounding states, she turned the artistry of her eye and lens on the people and places she encountered.
Having opened a studio in her hometown of New Bern in 1905, Wootten moved to Chapel Hill in 1928, where her clients included the University of North Carolina. Between 1932 and 1941, she also provided photographs for six books — including Cabins in the Laurel, Old Homes and Gardens of North Carolina, and Charleston: Azaleas and Old Bricks — lectured extensively, and exhibited her photographs as far away as New York and Massachusetts.
Light and Air features 190 illustrations, including 136 duotone reproductions of Wootten’s photographs taken in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee — many of which have never before been published. Though she was an accomplished landscape and architectural photographer, some of Wootten’s most notable images were the portraits she crafted of black and white Americans in the lower reaches of society, working people whom other photographers often ignored. These images are perhaps her most enduring legacy.
Editions of Light and Air
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807824450
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469632483
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890869517
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469634050
Read an Excerpt
A trailblazer for women photographers in the South, North Carolina’s Bayard Wootten (1875–1959) overcame economic hardship, gender discrimination, and the obscurity of a small-town upbringing to become the state’s most significant early female photographer. This advocate of equality for women combined an artistic vision of photography with determination and a love of adventure to forge a distinguished career spanning half a century.
Originally trained as an artist, Wootten worked in photography’s pictorial tradition, emphasizing artistic effect in her images at a time when realistic and documentary photography increasingly dominated the medium. Traveling throughout North Carolina and surrounding states, she turned the artistry of her eye and lens on the people and places she encountered.
Having opened a studio in her hometown of New Bern in 1905, Wootten moved to Chapel Hill in 1928, where her clients included the University of North Carolina. Between 1932 and 1941, she also provided photographs for six books — including Cabins in the Laurel, Old Homes and Gardens of North Carolina, and Charleston: Azaleas and Old Bricks — lectured extensively, and exhibited her photographs as far away as New York and Massachusetts.
Light and Air features 190 illustrations, including 136 duotone reproductions of Wootten’s photographs taken in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee — many of which have never before been published. Though she was an accomplished landscape and architectural photographer, some of Wootten’s most notable images were the portraits she crafted of black and white Americans in the lower reaches of society, working people whom other photographers often ignored. These images are perhaps her most enduring legacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Light and Air about?
A trailblazer for women photographers in the South, North Carolina’s Bayard Wootten (1875–1959) overcame economic hardship, gender discrimination, and the obscurity of a small-town upbringing to become the state’s most significant early female photographer. This advocate of equality for women combined an artistic vision of photography with determination and a love of adventure to forge a distinguished career spanning half a century.
Originally trained as an artist, Wootten worked in photography’s pictorial tradition, emphasizing artistic effect in her images at a time when realistic and documentary photography increasingly dominated the medium. Traveling throughout North Carolina and surrounding states, she turned the artistry of her eye and lens on the people and places she encountered.
Having opened a studio in her hometown of New Bern in 1905, Wootten moved to Chapel Hill in 1928, where her clients included the University of North Carolina. Between 1932 and 1941, she also provided photographs for six books — including Cabins in the Laurel, Old Homes and Gardens of North Carolina, and Charleston: Azaleas and Old Bricks — lectured extensively, and exhibited her photographs as far away as New York and Massachusetts.
Light and Air features 190 illustrations, including 136 duotone reproductions of Wootten’s photographs taken in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee — many of which have never before been published. Though she was an accomplished landscape and architectural photographer, some of Wootten’s most notable images were the portraits she crafted of black and white Americans in the lower reaches of society, working people whom other photographers often ignored. These images are perhaps her most enduring legacy.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Light and Air?
The Arts > Photography and photographs > Photographs: collections > Individual photographers
Where can I read a sample of Light and Air?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807824450
How long is Light and Air and how many pages does it have?
Light and Air has 272 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Light and Air?
Jerry W. Cotten, Stephen J. Fletcher
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Light and Air is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807824450) and paperback(ISBN 9781469632483) and ebook(ISBN 9798890869517) and ebook(ISBN 9781469634050)
Where can I buy Light and Air online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Light and Air from below
Where can I buy Light and Air?