Margaret Bourke-White

Aerial View of the Rockefeller Center, 1939

1939

Margaret Bourke-White (1904–1971) was a pioneering American photographer and photojournalist, best known for her groundbreaking work in industrial and war photography. She was born on June 14, 1904, in the Bronx, New York, and raised in New Jersey. Bourke-White studied at several universities before earning her degree from Cornell in 1927. That same year, she opened a photography studio in Cleveland and began to gain attention for her dramatic black-and-white images of steel mills and industrial sites. She became the first female photojournalist for Life magazine, and her photograph of Fort Peck Dam in Montana was featured on Life’s first-ever cover in 1936. She was also the first female war correspondent and the first woman allowed to work in combat zones during World War II. Her fearless reporting took her from the frontlines in Europe to the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp, and she documented major events such as the partition of India and Gandhi’s final days. Among her notable works: “Fort Peck Dam” (1936) – Life magazine’s inaugural cover photo. “Gandhi at His Spinning Wheel” (1946) – One of the most iconic images of Mahatma Gandhi, taken shortly before his assassination. “Liberation of Buchenwald” (1945) – Powerful and haunting photographs of concentration camp survivors. “Statue of Liberty with P-47 Thunderbolt” (1946) – A dramatic image showing the Statue of Liberty silhouetted against the sky with a military plane flying past, symbolizing postwar America and its global influence. This image is often associated with Bourke-White’s deep interest in symbols of power and freedom. Bourke-White’s career was cut short in the 1950s by Parkinson’s disease, but she continued to write and publish until her death in 1971. Her autobiography, Portrait of Myself (1963), offers a compelling look into her life and career. She remains one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, celebrated for her technical innovation, artistic vision, and journalistic courage.