Figure 1.--Here Washington, D.C school children are on a field trip to study the U.S. Mail. They are checking out a mail box--something that used to be commonly found on Amnerican streets. At the time such trips out of the classroom were innovative methods. After working in Washington, Johnston began documenting minortity schools, including African-American and Native-American schools

Frances Benjamin Johnston was thee only surviving child of wealthy and well-connected parents. She was born in Grafton, West Virginia (1864). The family moved to Washington, D.C. after the Civil War. Her family had the money to allow her to study art in Paris. When she returned home, she began working as a journalist. She was a rare woman journalist with a national reputation. She is described as an 'An independent and strong-willed young woman'. It would be photography, however, that would capture her imagination. This began when George Eastman, a close friend of the family and the man behind Kodak presented her with her first camera. Eastman invented the new, lighter, Eastman Kodak box cameras and inpvative roll film. This was even before Kodak came out with the Brownie. This caused Johnston to change her career direction. She decided to become a photographer. She was one of the first important woman photographers outside of studio photographers. She began with studio portraiture and achieved some success as a professional photographer and businesswoman. She attracted a Washington clientele including presidents, diplomats, and other government officials. Her personal life was more inclined toward artistic, Bohemian circles. She began to establish a reputation in both the art and commercial worlds. She launched into photo-journalism one of th phoograohers who lsunched this branch of ohotograophy. and documentary. She provided photograpohs to the Bain News Service (1890s-1900s). And with advances in lithography, she wrote illustrated articles for many magazines. She was active in pictorialist photo exhibitions and world�s fairs. Next she concentrated on architecture and gardens, producing a survey of historic buildings in the American South. She was interested in the Progressive era reforms. Johnston is perhaps best known today for her interest in education, especially the education of minotity groups. She documented education at the turn-of the 20th century, photographing children at public schools in Washington, D.C., the Tuskegee Institute/Annie Davis School (Alabama), the Hampton Institute (Virginia), and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School (Pennsylvania).

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Created: 1:15 AM 9/28/2018
Last updated: 4:30 PM 3/11/2019