Margaret Bouke Essay, Research Paper

White never thought she would be a famous photographer. In 1921, when Margaret

was 17, she went to college to study herpetology, or the study of snakes and

reptiles. That same year her father died leaving her family with little money.

To stay in college Margaret got a job taking and selling pictures of the college

campus using her father?s broken camera. That summer she got a job as the

photographer and counselor at a summer camp. Even though she liked taking

pictures, for Margaret, photography was still a hobby. But architects and other

photographers were impressed with her photographs and encouraged her to use her

talent. When she graduated in 1927, Margaret turned down a position at the

Museum of Natural History and went to Cleveland to open her own photography

studio. Margaret had courage and talent from the beginning. At first she did

advertising work for schools and other businesses but never stopped working on

her artistic skills. For example, as she was walking by she noticed a preacher

speaking in a square with only a group of pigeons to hear. Margaret wanted to

take his picture but she didn’t have her camera with her. She ran into a camera

store and asked to rent or borrow a camera. The picture became one of her first

works of art and the owner of the store became one of her best friends. One of

Margaret’s early dreams was to photograph the inside of a steel mill but women

weren’t allowed inside. Being a woman didn’t stop her and the pictures were a

success. Her shots were published in magazines all over the country and got

Margaret her first big job, at Fortune magazine in New York. With Margaret’s

photos Fortune became one of the leading photography magazines. The magazine had

also made her a star but Margaret still kept her studio, which had grown to a

staff of eight and moved to the Chrysler building. In 1930 Fortune sent Margaret

on one of her biggest assignments, to Germany to capture foreign industry.

Curious about the Soviet Union she wanted to extend her trip but very few

foreigners were allowed into the country. As she once said, "nothing

attracts me like a closed door." Margaret never gave up and, after

impressing Russian officials with her portfolio, was admitted into the country.

She made a total of three trips and gained a reputation for being and expert on

Russian industry. In 1931 she wrote her first book, Eyes on Russia. During World

War II Margaret was sent Europe to cover the war. She got pictures of her own

ship being torpedoed and became the first woman in a bomber. She also went with

General Patton’s troops to be one of the firsts to photograph a concentration

camp. When she returned to the U.S. she wrote another book about the war, Purple

Heart Valley. In 1950 Margaret was awarded an American Women of Achievement

award but only seven years later she would no longer be able to hold a camera.

She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease but at first refused to believe the

diagnosis. Margaret Bourke- White died in 1971, at 67 years old. Margaret was

one of the greatest photographers but also one of the greatest women. She paved

the way for many women in all professions, not just photographers, with her

courage and determination.