Such a great story! Very interesting to read and understand that so many great photographers still waiting to explore them by finding archives of negatives under the bed or on there shelves after they passed away. But a little sad to think in this way also.
Great post, Susanne! I remember hearing Alec Soth discuss Lora's work, though I can't recall where. The photo of Lizzie with the cat truly amazed me, especially when I noticed the crutch! I had forgotten about it until now, but I'm enchanted by it once again. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, he Alec Soth talked about the book in one of his videos he made during covid. That is how I first learned about the book. It is an amazing book about an incredible woman. Thank you for reading!
What beautiful intimate work. Thank you for introducing me to this female photographer and giving us a glimpse into her background. A brave soul and documentarian. Thank heavens too for the volunteers committed to preserving her life work. It takes a village.
You are very welcome. Thank you for reading! And yes, without these wonderful people who did their best to preserve the negatives and take good care all these years. ❤️
The challenge with these archives is cost of maintaining them, digitizing, cataloging.... At least one fulltime archivist, which is a fulltime salary, plus storage costs, temperature controlled cabinets... and how to manage it, if Susanne walks through the door and says I want to have a look at photographs of women between 1920 and 1930. The catalogue has to be able to handle that. It is not cheap.
Of course, it takes a lot of resources, especially financially. But what would be the alternative? Selling them at a “Museum garage sale”? Letting them where they are? Deciding that she was just an avid but unknown photographer and not worth the money and time?
I completely agree that it is fantastic that her archive is safe and accessible to us all. All I am saying is that in some ways she got very lucky. First that the archive arrived at the museum in the first place and then that the museum recognized what it is and did something with it. My great concern is how few photographers think about these things while they are still alive. I have met several family members of famous photographers over the years, who feel this enormous burden over their inheriting a massive archive that is more or less well organized, and costs a fortune to maintain. The message here is to make arrangements when you are still alive.
Martin Parr set up a foundation. He is making and signing prints like mad, because he knows that to maintain his own legacy, there needs to be money in the account to do so, and he believes that signed prints is the way to keep his archive safe. He has laid out a financial future for his legacy. Very, very few archives are profitable without a lot of sweat equity and heavy investments in promotion, making books, etc.
Leaving your negatives to widows or widowers, friends, children.... is a huge load for them to carry, which goes to guilt, despair, or worse. There are literally children of famous photographers who go through life doing nothing but worrying about living up to their parent's legacy. That is no way to live.
That is a very good point you are making here. I wonder how well-known photographers who live today handle this besides Martin Parr. I guess some will bequeath it to a museum after their death, but now I come to think of it as not much different than giving it to your children. Interesting topic. That is for sure. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
I know a lot of photographers who have tried to give their archive to a museum.... to be brutally honest, the museums will not take the archives unless you are either super famous, or bring your work AND money to maintain the archive. That is the reality. It is very tough and there are really really difficult decisions to be made. And those should be made while the photographer is still alive. It is not fair to leave it to the heirs to figure it out and carry that guilt.
I read about this collection some time ago. It is remarkable. Considering how much time has passed and her move 'away' it is a story that needs to be told. Thank you for sharing this really interesting pioneering spirit and the documents that make it not like movie, but about real people.
When I found out that the Nichols family donated the negatives to the museum and made sure they were made available through the public domain, I thought about how exemplary this whole story is compared to Vivian Maiers.
I I received the book today!!! Thank you so much for telling us about her. Being primarily an analog photographer and now working in platinum palladium, I am intrigued by women photographers during this time period who had such persistence and determination to follow her own way and photograph the community with such empathy.
It is so good to hear you got the book! It is an amazing book. And I have to say, I don’t make my own prints (just yet), but I have the biggest respect and admiration for all these women that were so ahead of her time. Her life wasn’t an easy one, but she worked hard to support her family and laid ground for women after her!
Wowzers! What a brilliant find and thank you for sharing, I feel like sharing the names of successful and talented women from history is the ultimate feminist act. I really enjoyed the video and she has some right cracking images ☺️
Thank you, Sheila! I love your comment. I feel like these women were really badass - doing something that wasn’t common at that time and making it work for them. Inspiring and admirable for sure!
I completely agree! I ended up snooping around and found a few more photos, she had such an eye for photography. She sounded like a right badass making her own money with her own business and being an excellent photographer - all things women really wouldn’t have access to.
As she’s a woman she also got an eye into worlds men wouldn’t have been able to access, making it even more special! Capturing women’s lives when they might have been left uncaptured and forgotten.
Thank you so much, Susanne for sharing this incredibly impactful story! The discovery strikes some similarities to that of Vivian Maier, but truly, what a legend! It was fascinating to see her skill with composition and execution at a time when resources were low, especially in that region of the country. Wyoming continues to be an area with long distances between cities. To think that she was able to achieve so much living there and at that time is simply unbelievable! I visited the website too... it makes me wonder how many other women photographers are hiding in the shadows.
Thank you for your comment, Juliette! I thought of Vivian Maier too of course, and thought how exemplary Nichols story came to be compared to Maier‘s. Anyway, what I find so inspiring is, that she became a photographer and entrepreneur at a time when usually only well-situated women would own a camera and would use it just for fun. All these pioneering women, who find their own paths that was rather uncommon at the time have a big place in my heart!
Such a great story! Very interesting to read and understand that so many great photographers still waiting to explore them by finding archives of negatives under the bed or on there shelves after they passed away. But a little sad to think in this way also.
I wonder the same thing - how many of these amazing stories and photos are waiting there to be discovered still?
Thank you for reading!
Great post, Susanne! I remember hearing Alec Soth discuss Lora's work, though I can't recall where. The photo of Lizzie with the cat truly amazed me, especially when I noticed the crutch! I had forgotten about it until now, but I'm enchanted by it once again. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, he Alec Soth talked about the book in one of his videos he made during covid. That is how I first learned about the book. It is an amazing book about an incredible woman. Thank you for reading!
I'm really glad you remembered, that was bothering me!
Haha! Happy to help!
What beautiful intimate work. Thank you for introducing me to this female photographer and giving us a glimpse into her background. A brave soul and documentarian. Thank heavens too for the volunteers committed to preserving her life work. It takes a village.
You are very welcome. Thank you for reading! And yes, without these wonderful people who did their best to preserve the negatives and take good care all these years. ❤️
Fantastic post, Susanne. What a life dedicated to our craft. I wasn't aware of her but will definitely dive deep intonher work. Thanks flr sharing!
The website is a great start. It is such a wonderful story I had to share!
The challenge with these archives is cost of maintaining them, digitizing, cataloging.... At least one fulltime archivist, which is a fulltime salary, plus storage costs, temperature controlled cabinets... and how to manage it, if Susanne walks through the door and says I want to have a look at photographs of women between 1920 and 1930. The catalogue has to be able to handle that. It is not cheap.
Of course, it takes a lot of resources, especially financially. But what would be the alternative? Selling them at a “Museum garage sale”? Letting them where they are? Deciding that she was just an avid but unknown photographer and not worth the money and time?
I completely agree that it is fantastic that her archive is safe and accessible to us all. All I am saying is that in some ways she got very lucky. First that the archive arrived at the museum in the first place and then that the museum recognized what it is and did something with it. My great concern is how few photographers think about these things while they are still alive. I have met several family members of famous photographers over the years, who feel this enormous burden over their inheriting a massive archive that is more or less well organized, and costs a fortune to maintain. The message here is to make arrangements when you are still alive.
Martin Parr set up a foundation. He is making and signing prints like mad, because he knows that to maintain his own legacy, there needs to be money in the account to do so, and he believes that signed prints is the way to keep his archive safe. He has laid out a financial future for his legacy. Very, very few archives are profitable without a lot of sweat equity and heavy investments in promotion, making books, etc.
Leaving your negatives to widows or widowers, friends, children.... is a huge load for them to carry, which goes to guilt, despair, or worse. There are literally children of famous photographers who go through life doing nothing but worrying about living up to their parent's legacy. That is no way to live.
That is a very good point you are making here. I wonder how well-known photographers who live today handle this besides Martin Parr. I guess some will bequeath it to a museum after their death, but now I come to think of it as not much different than giving it to your children. Interesting topic. That is for sure. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this.
I know a lot of photographers who have tried to give their archive to a museum.... to be brutally honest, the museums will not take the archives unless you are either super famous, or bring your work AND money to maintain the archive. That is the reality. It is very tough and there are really really difficult decisions to be made. And those should be made while the photographer is still alive. It is not fair to leave it to the heirs to figure it out and carry that guilt.
For sure. The Maier saga makes me ill.....
I understand that!
What a fascinating story. Thanks for sharing!
Thank s for reading, Ari!
another beautiful presentation of a photographer i've never heard off. thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading.
Fascinating! This is a great series on women photographers.
Thank you, Shital! It is so wonderful to learn more about these amazing women. Glad you are enjoying the series.
I read about this collection some time ago. It is remarkable. Considering how much time has passed and her move 'away' it is a story that needs to be told. Thank you for sharing this really interesting pioneering spirit and the documents that make it not like movie, but about real people.
When I found out that the Nichols family donated the negatives to the museum and made sure they were made available through the public domain, I thought about how exemplary this whole story is compared to Vivian Maiers.
I I received the book today!!! Thank you so much for telling us about her. Being primarily an analog photographer and now working in platinum palladium, I am intrigued by women photographers during this time period who had such persistence and determination to follow her own way and photograph the community with such empathy.
It is so good to hear you got the book! It is an amazing book. And I have to say, I don’t make my own prints (just yet), but I have the biggest respect and admiration for all these women that were so ahead of her time. Her life wasn’t an easy one, but she worked hard to support her family and laid ground for women after her!
Thank you for pulling this together and sharing it.
You are welcome! It is good to hear you enjoyed it!
Hello Susanne, I have received your book here in Texas, it's wonderful, thank you. Jonathan Spearman
Thank you so much for letting me know, Jonathan! I am glad to hear you like it!
Wowzers! What a brilliant find and thank you for sharing, I feel like sharing the names of successful and talented women from history is the ultimate feminist act. I really enjoyed the video and she has some right cracking images ☺️
Thank you, Sheila! I love your comment. I feel like these women were really badass - doing something that wasn’t common at that time and making it work for them. Inspiring and admirable for sure!
I completely agree! I ended up snooping around and found a few more photos, she had such an eye for photography. She sounded like a right badass making her own money with her own business and being an excellent photographer - all things women really wouldn’t have access to.
As she’s a woman she also got an eye into worlds men wouldn’t have been able to access, making it even more special! Capturing women’s lives when they might have been left uncaptured and forgotten.
Exactly!! I would have loved to meet her!
Me too! I wonder how she’d have photographed me! Some woman, as we’d say in Ireland.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Dan!
Thank you so much, Susanne for sharing this incredibly impactful story! The discovery strikes some similarities to that of Vivian Maier, but truly, what a legend! It was fascinating to see her skill with composition and execution at a time when resources were low, especially in that region of the country. Wyoming continues to be an area with long distances between cities. To think that she was able to achieve so much living there and at that time is simply unbelievable! I visited the website too... it makes me wonder how many other women photographers are hiding in the shadows.
Thank you for your comment, Juliette! I thought of Vivian Maier too of course, and thought how exemplary Nichols story came to be compared to Maier‘s. Anyway, what I find so inspiring is, that she became a photographer and entrepreneur at a time when usually only well-situated women would own a camera and would use it just for fun. All these pioneering women, who find their own paths that was rather uncommon at the time have a big place in my heart!