Margaret Bourke-White

Born June 14, 1904 in the Bronx, New York
Died August 27, 1971 in Stamford, Connecticut

Margaret White was the daughter of Joseph and Minnie White. Joseph enjoyed photography as a hobby so Margaret was exposed to photography early in life. However, it wasn't until college that she took it up as a hobby of her own. Margaret began as a freelancer in industrial photography but was later hired by "Fortune" and then "Life." "Life Magazine" sent her to cover WWII and Margaret was the first woman photographer attached to the U.S. forces. She later photographed Mahatma Ghandi and the Korean War before retiring in 1969.
Main Photographic Subject:
Margaret was a photojournalist. Her photography covered industrial, human, and war subjects. While her photo essays on the human condition were stunning, such as her essay on the Southern U.S. sharecroppers in the Great Depression entitled - "You Have Seen Their Faces," it was her wartime photography that is probably best known. Margaret photographed the concentration camps and gas chambers and those photographs shocked the world.
Major Contributions/Best Known For:
Margaret's photographs of World War II concentration camps and gas chambers are most likely her best known works, although many may not realize she is the one who shot the photos. Some of her more popular works that are widely known to be hers are essays on industrial development. Steel mills, high-rises, and other industry were a favorite subject and Margaret felt they were very important to American life.
Trivia:
Margaret combined her last name with her Mother's maiden name (Bourke) to create her professional name, "Bourke-White."

Originally studied herpetology in college.

Was the first Western journalist allowed into the Soviet Union (other than wartime).

Crossed the Rhine with General Patton's troops.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1952 - Margaret continued to work until 1969.

Married twice, once to Everett Chapman and once to writer Erskine Caldwell.