27 Facts About Imogen Cunningham

Imogen Cunningham was an American photographer known for her botanical photography, nudes, and industrial landscapes.

Imogen Cunningham's parents were from Missouri, though both of their families originally came from Virginia.

Imogen Cunningham grew up in Seattle, Washington and attended the Denny School at 5th and Battery Streets in Seattle.

In 1901, at the age of eighteen, Imogen Cunningham bought her first camera, a 4x5 inch view camera, via mail order from the American School of Art in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Imogen Cunningham entered the University of Washington in 1903, where she became a charter member of the Washington Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi fraternity for Women.

In 1907, Imogen Cunningham graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in chemistry.

Imogen Cunningham worked for Curtis on his project of documenting American Indian tribes for the book The North American Indian, which was published in twenty volumes between 1907 and 1930.

Imogen Cunningham learned the technique of platinum printing under Curtis's supervision and became fascinated by the process.

In 1909, Imogen Cunningham was awarded the Pi Beta Phi Graduate Fellowship.

In Seattle, Imogen Cunningham opened a studio and later won acclaim for portraiture and pictorial work.

Imogen Cunningham's images were shown by the Seattle Fine Arts Society and were later published in the Seattle newspaper the Town Crier, where they caused a scandal due to a woman photographing a male nude.

Imogen Cunningham actively published her work in magazines and newspapers.

Imogen Cunningham had a good eye, but she was a great editor.

Imogen Cunningham knew how to edit her work, so what the world sees is an impressive selection of work.

Imogen Cunningham became a sought-after photographer and exhibited at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences in 1913.

In 1914, Imogen Cunningham's portraits were shown at An International Exhibition of Pictorial Photography in New York.

Between 1915 and 1920, Imogen Cunningham continued her work and had three children with Partridge.

Imogen Cunningham refined her style, taking a greater interest in pattern and detail and becoming increasingly interested in botanical photography, especially flowers.

In 1933, Imogen Cunningham founded the California Horticultural Society in which her images were so detailed and clear that many horticulturalist and scientists used her images in their studies.

Imogen Cunningham changed direction, becoming more interested in the human form, particularly hands, and she was fascinated with the hands of artists and musicians.

In 1932, Imogen Cunningham was invited to do some work in New York for Vanity Fair.

Imogen Cunningham created photographs that highlighted actors Wallace Beery and Spencer Tracy.

Imogen Cunningham continued with Vanity Fair until it stopped publication in 1936.

In 1945, Imogen Cunningham was invited by Ansel Adams to accept a position as a faculty member for the art photography department at the California School of Fine Arts.

In 1964, Imogen Cunningham met the photographer Judy Dater while leading a workshop focusing on the life and work of Edward Weston in Big Sur Hot Springs, California which later became the Esalen Institute.

On February 11,1915, Imogen Cunningham married etching artist, printmaker and teacher Roi Partridge.

Imogen Cunningham continued to take photographs until shortly before her death at age 93, on June 23,1976, in San Francisco, California.