Amazing People Series: Margaret Bourke-White

AmazingPeopleSeries

MargaretBourke-White

AWomanofManyFirsts

famous Architectural and Industrial photographer

1st female photographer for FORTUNE magazine

1st foreign photographer permitted in the Soviet Union to take photos of Soviet Industry

ImadethethemeofthisstoryaboutSELF-BELIEF. Here'swhy

Margaretwasbornin1904,sixteenyears before womenhadlegallyachievedtherighttovotein 1920

In 1919, Margaret was only 15 years old, but she wasalreadyambitious. Inherdiaryshewrotethe following: "I know I will achieve whatever goals I decide to set for myself. I know I will succeed whereverittakesme"

From the 1920s until her death in 1971 Margaret stayedtruetothepromiseshemadeherselfasa teenager

She showed millions of women and girls what they could accomplish if they believed in themselvesandwentaftertheirdreams

Margaretwasattractive,determined,aggressive, tenacious and had a great eye. All through her lifeshekeptmeticulousjournals

Hercareerspanned30yearsandshewasableto captureinpicturesmanyofthetumultuousand socialeventsoftheearly20thcentury

1st American woman to serve as a photojournalist in combat zones in World War II

1st female phtojournalist for LIFE magazine

ArchitecturalPhotographer

*MargaretstartedoutasanArchitecturalandIndustrial photographer

*In1931-HereyouseeMargaretoutsideher61stfloor studiooftheNewYorkChryslerbuilding.

*Shewasnotafraidofheightsandhadnosafetynet!

"Workissomethingyoucancounton,atrustedlifelong friendwhoneverdesertsyou."

-MargaretBourke-White-

MargaretBourke-White

AmazingPeopleSeries

MargaretBourke-White

In1936-thesearethepicturesoftheFortPeckDamnear GlasgowinMontana

*Theywerethefirstphotosofthe1stissueofLIFEmagazine *LIFEwasthefirstmagazinetocombinephotographsand essays

*MargaretBourke-Whitetookthesemagnificentphotos

FloodingofLouisville,KY

*In1937-theimpactofthefloodingoftheOhioRiverclaimed hundredsoflives 175,000residentswereevacuatedandwere eventuallylefthomeless.

*Whatmadethephotointhebottomleftgainworldwideattention? Inthepicture,youseealineofBlackAmericansstandingfrontofa billboarddepictingthattheAmericanwayoflifeisthebestway. On thebillboardisawhitefamilyandawhitedogsittinginanicecar Thepeopleinthislinewereallvictimsoftheworstnaturaldisaster Americahadexperiencedatthattime

*Margaretwantedtoshowtheinequality,deprivationandpovertyof theAmericanwayoflifeonpoor,blackpeople

TheGreatDepression

*Thehardworkingmenandwomen tryingtoekealivingduringtheGreat DepressiondeeplyaffectedMargaret

*ShemettheinternationalwriterErskine Caldwellandtogetherwithhiswriting andherphotostheywroteabook-You HaveSeenTheirFaces-whichwas aboutthestrugglesandheartbreakof theDepressiononordinaryAmerican people

FortPeckDam,Montana

FortPeckDam

"Tounderstandanotherhumanbeing youmustfirstgainsomeinsightintothe conditionswhichmadehimwhatheis."

-MargaretBourke-White-

AmazingPeopleSeries

HappeningsinAmericaand aroundtheworld

TheNazisdroppingbombsonMoscow

"Theverysecretoflifeforme wastomaintaininthemidstof rushingeventsaninnertranquility Ihadpickedalifethatdealt withexcitement,tragedy,masscalamities,humantriumphsand suffering Tothrowmywholeselfintorecordingandattemptingto understandthesethings,Ineededaninnerserenityasakindof balance"

-MargaretBourke-White-

*In1941,MargaretwashidingontheroofoftheembassyinMoscow, whentheNazisbegandroppingbombsoverhead. Shehadtohide fromthehotelstaffbecausenocamerasorpictureswereallowed Also,shewastheonlycorrespondentinsidetheembassybeforethe bombingstarted,soshewasabletocapturethesestartlingpictures Remember,thiswasaccomplishedbeforecellphones,ordigital cameraswereeveninvented!

MargaretBourke-White

MargaretBourke-White

AmazingPeopleSeries MargaretBourke-White

ReleasefromNaziconcentrationcamps

* SWORE NEVER TO BE SILENT WHENEVER HUMAN BEINGS ENDURE SUFFERING AND HUMILIATION. WE MUST ALWAYS TAKE SIDES."

-ELIE WIESEL-

"Sometimes,Icomeawayfrom whatIamphotographingsickat heart,withthefacesofpeoplein painetchedassharplyinmymind asonmynegatives ButIgoback becauseIfeelitismyplaceto makesuchpictures. Uttertruthis essential,andthatiswhatstirsme whenIlookthroughthecamera."

-MargaretBourke-White-

*InApril1945-MargarettookthesepicturesofJewish refugeesandotherpoliticalprisonersbeingliberated fromoneoftheNazi'shorrificconcentrationcampsBuchenwald.

'"The sights I have just seen [at Buchenwald] are so unbelievable that I don't think I'll believe them myself until I've seen the photographs..."

-MargaretBourke-White-

ThePartitionofIndiaandPakistan

AmazingPeopleSeries MargaretBourke-White

what makes an ordinary person spectacular?

ThePartitionofIndiaandPakistan-waschaotic andbloody. SomeofthescenesthatMargaret tookpicturesofmadehersicktohersoul. Read belowhowshefeltfromtakingtheabovephotos.

Theyearis1948-hereisapictureofMahatmaGandhi withhisspinningwheel. Margaretwasallowedtotake hispictureifshefollowedhisruleofnotalking,forthis washisdayofsilence.

Thisphotoissopreciousbecauseitwastakenjusthours beforeGandhiwasassissinated.

The Partition of India and Pakistan continued

MohandasKaramchandGandhi

"Ifyouwanttophotograph amanspinning, givesomethoughtto whyhespins. Understandingfora photographerisas importantas theequipmentheuses."

-MargaretBourke-White-

AmazingPeopleSeries

MargaretBourke-White Parkinson'sDisease

Intheearly1950sasMargaretwaspreparingto gooverseastoshootpicturesoftheKoreanWar, shefeltweaknessinherlegsandfelldown. After seeingadoctor,hediagnosedherwith Parkinson'sdisease.

Shemadethedifficultdecisiontoresignfromher careerasaphotojournalist. Shewenthometo Darien,CTandfacedherdiseasewiththesame gustoasshe'dlivedherlife.

Margaretfocusedhertimeandenergybetween dealingwithherdiseaseandwriting Shewrote nineteenbooks.

Thoughshefaithfullyfollowedthemedicinesand protocolsofherdoctors,thediseasetookitstoll onherbodyandneartheendallshecoulddo wasblinkhereyes.

In1971,atage67,Margaretdied.

"Bringalltheassetsyou haveandplay to win."

-MargaretBourke-White-

tenacious driven unwilling to quit

AmazingPeopleSeries

MargaretBourke-White

Final Thoughts...

I'vealwaysadmiredpeoplewhohadunshakeable confidenceinthemselvesandwhomadeapositive differenceintheworld. Ittookmealong,longtimeto learntobelieveinmyself,butMargarethadthatselfbeliefataveryyoungage.

Shedidn'tstartoutseekingfameandfortune,shejust usedthetimethatwasgivenherandfollowedher heart. Shedailyfocusedhertimeandenergytodo whatsheloved. Becomingworldfamousand respectedwereby-productsofherself-belief.

MargaretBourke-Whitelefttheworldatremendous legacy:

Sheinspiredwomenandgirlstogoaftertheir dreamsandnotsettleforalifeofmediocrity. sheshowedbyexamplewhatasinglepersoncould accomplishbyconstantlylearningandworking hard.

Hersocialrealisticphotoscapturedtheheartsand mindsoftheAmericanpeopleandtheworld.

Herlifewasatestamenttothepowerofthehumanwill andimagination Shefrequentlyhadtocomeupwith innovativesolutionstoproblems. Margaretwastruly oneofthosepeoplewholefttheworldalittlebetterfor havingbeeninit.

May/JuneIssue

So,howareyouspendingyour24hourstoday?

Eachof us isgiven thesame 24hours ina day.

Yet, whatwedo withthose 24hours makesall the difference.