Legacy Heroines

Heroines of the past who were active at some point between the mid-20th century and the early 21st century.

From Agnès to Ylla, explore the archive of Legacy Heroines and learn about the rich lives and careers of pioneering women photographers. As we continue our mission, our online archives will continue grow.

Researched, written and curated by our volunteers. If you would like to contribute to this valuable resource, sign up to volunteer today.

Ruby Washington

As the first African-American woman hired as a staff photographer for the New York Times, Ruby Washington (1952-2018) was a true pioneer....

Ruth Bernhard 'Lifesavers'

Ruth Bernhard

German photographer Ruth Bernhard studied at the Berlin Academy of Art. In 1927, she relocated to New York to begin a career in commercial photography....

American Girl in Italy, Florence, 1951 Ruth Orkin © Mary Engel & APAG.us

Ruth Orkin

Photojournalist Ruth Orkin was voted one of the Top Ten Women Photographers by the Professional Photographers of America in 1959...

Sarah Louise Judd

Sarah Louse Judd (1802 – 1886) was the first commercial photographer in Minnesota and first schoolteacher in Washington County. She experimented with daguerreotypes during the spring of 1848 for two years in Stillwater....

Tee Corinne

Tee Corinne, born in St. Petersburg, Florida, 1943, was a prolific lesbian writer, artist, sex educator, historian, and feminist, famous for her content which explores the intersections of feminism and sexuality....

Toni Frissell

Born into a wealthy New York banking family, legendary photographer Antoinette ‘Toni’ Frissell Bacon (1907 – 1988) was introduced to photography in her twenties by her filmmaker brother Varick....