Abigail Heyman

“I looked at people and events long before I owned a camera, more as a silent observer than a participant, sensing this was a woman’s place. It is no longer my place as a woman, but it remains my style as a photographer.”

Abigail Heyman (1942-2013) was a pioneering American photographer and feminist, renowned for her powerfully intimate portrayal of women’s lived experience. Born in Danbury, Connecticut, Abigail initially pursued a career in writing before turning to photography in the late 1960s. Her work gained prominence with the publication of her influential book, “Growing Up Female: a personal photojournal,” in 1974. This powerful collection featured candid, often stark images that captured the everyday experiences and struggles of women; Abigail capturing what she called “the problems and the strengths of women”.

Her artistic approach combined documentary photography with a deeply personal perspective, challenging traditional representations of women in media. Her ability to connect with her subjects and portray their stories with authenticity and empathy made her a significant figure in the feminist movement. Joan Liftin, a friend and colleague of Abigail, stated: “as a feminist, she was not so much about marching. She took pictures that showed what the marching was about.”

In 1981, she co-founded Archive Pictures Inc., an international documentary photographers’ cooperative agency in New York City, along with Mark Godfrey, Charles Harbutt, Joan Liftin, and Mary Ellen Mark. In addition to her photographic work, Heyman was an educator, teaching at the International Center of Photography in Manhattan as director of the documentary and photojournalism department. Throughout her career, Abigail continued to explore themes of identity, gender, and societal norms, leaving a lasting impact on the field of photography and feminist art. Her legacy endures through her influential body of work, which remains a testament to her vision and dedication to capturing the complexities of women’s lives.

Publications

• Growing Up Female: A Personal Photo-Journal (1974)
• Butcher, Baker, Cabinetmaker (1978)
• Dreams & Schemes: Love and Marriage in Modern Times (1987)
• Flesh & Blood: Photographers’ Images of Their Own Families (1992) – (co-publisher/editor) – copy in HH Library

Quotes

“This book is about women, and their lives as women, from one feminist’s point of view”.

“It is about what women are doing, and what they are feeling, and how they are relating to their mates, their children, their friends, their work, their interests, and themselves.”

“I have photographed the problems and the strengths of women. Some have suggested that I photograph the solutions. I don’t know the solutions”

By Ruby Mitchell

Related Content

Based on books they published in the 1970s, the work of Abigail Heyman (Growing Up Female), Eve Arnold (The Unretouched Woman) and Susan Meiselas (Carnival Strippers) was brought together in the exhibition FEMMES À L’ŒUVRE, FEMMES À L’ÉPREUVE, curated by Clara Bouveresse at Arles in 2019.  We have a copy of the catalogue in the Collection.