Frances Benjamin Johnston
(1864–1952)
One of America’s first prominent women photographers. Frances Benjamin Johnston built a career photographing presidents, writers and celebrities but was just as interested in coal mines, classrooms, factories and the people who worked in them.
She travelled extensively, often venturing into places and subjects that were unusual for a woman of her time. Later, her camera turned towards gardens, grand estates and historic buildings, creating an extraordinary record of a changing America. Johnston spent more than fifty years using photography to document the people and places that caught her eye - leaving behind a remarkable portrait of a world in transition.
These captivating images were created by utilizing one of the earliest forms of photography. A blend of art and chemistry, they feature distinctive Prussian blue hues with a dreamlike quality evoking a sense of nostalgia and timelessness. Each piece is unique, with subtle variations in shading and texture. The simplicity of the color palette enhances the intricate details, making cyanotypes both visually stunning and emotionally evocative. Chemically treated paper was used to capture the scene using a simple camera to expose it to the light source.
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