A look at Phila.'s pioneer female photographers
In an era of selfies and ubiquitous cameras, it is easy to forget the power of the photograph. It is perhaps even easier to forget that, from the beginning, women have made vital contributions to the medium. One of Philadelphia's most photogenic examples is the Lantern and Lens Gild of Women Photographers.
In an era of selfies and ubiquitous cameras, it is easy to forget the power of the photograph. It is perhaps even easier to forget that, from the beginning, women have made vital contributions to the medium. One of Philadelphia's most photogenic examples is the Lantern and Lens Gild of Women Photographers.
In 1905, Margaret Bodine and her classmates at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry (now Drexel University) recognized a shared interest in photography. The Drexel Camera Club, as their group was first known, gathered weekly at 24 S. 17th St. until 1911, when it moved to 24 S. 18th St., and changed its name to the Lantern and Lens Gild.
The women's lantern slides and photographs document life in Philadelphia and its suburbs at the turn of the 20th century. The women traveled throughout the area to photograph people, animals, landscapes, buildings, and other everyday subjects.
According to its constitution, the gild was to "promote the art of photography among its members by means of criticisms, lectures, exhibitions, etc."
The club hosted lectures by visiting artists including Elias Goldensky, the "Wizard of Photography," and Savero Antonelli, the famed Philadelphia photographer.
Gild members also exhibited their work throughout the region, including at the All Philadelphia Photographic Exhibition, the Bryn Mawr Art Center, and the Franklin Institute.
Seeking to expand its facilities, the gild moved into the New Century Guild Building at 1307 Locust St. in 1946. It remained there for almost 20 years, before discontinuing activities and club elections in 1965.