Photo by unknown
Image Source: http://www.apag.us/charlotte-brooks/
Charlotte Brooks was born Charlotte Finkelstein, in Brooklyn New York, on September 16, 1918. Charlotte attended Brooklyn College in the 1930’s. This is where she changed her last name to Brooks. According to Paul Vitello, from The New York Times, “Brooks was derived from her grandmother’s maiden name, Eisenbruch — as did many Jews who aspired to enter professions at a time when anti-Semitism remained pervasive.” After Charlotte graduated from Brooklyn College, she attended University of Minnesota, to start graduate work in psychology to become a social worker. However, she changed her mind and went back to New York, and studied photography. Charlotte worked full-time at Look magazine in 1951. Paul Vitello states, “Ms. Brooks was assigned almost exclusively at Look to provide pictures for what were known as women’s features: articles about children, families, education, homes, food and other constituent parts of women’s supposed domain.” The magazine closed in 1971. Over twenty years, Charlotte contributed to around 450 features. After the magazine closing, Charlotte moved upstate with Julie Arden. Charlotte began teaching photography, and both Charlotte and Julie Arden helped fund the White Pond Art Center. Charlotte Brooks passed away at her home in Holmes, New York at the age of 95.
While Charlotte was a freelance photographer at Look, she was assigned more of the feminine stories, such as articles about children, families, education, home, food, etc. The magazine never sent Charlotte to cover war or even a football game, nothing that people thought was manlier. However, Paul Vitello explains, “…her work became notable for capturing layers of depth in those types of stories that few ever had.” Charlotte did not want to be like the typical women photojournalist who just writes about feminine things, safe things. She went out and found the dangers of the topics she could write about. Charlotte created a photo essay about Minnijean Brown. One of the nine black teenagers who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Vitello states, “Under police escort through white mobs. Ms. Brooks went to see Ms. Brown several months later, after the world’s attention had moved on and Ms. Brown had been expelled for scuffling with white students who had shoved and spat on her in the cafeteria.” Charlotte captured the emotional toll of those historic months during Minnijean, one teenager’s life, and the way her family rallied to help her. Charlotte kept to herself how she did not care that see was assigned to these subjects. She need them her own.
I love the image John Nordell shows in his video Women Photojournalists, of the self-portrait of Frances Benjamin Johnston. John Nordell describes, “This is a self-portrait where she depicted herself smoking, holding a mug of beer with her petticoat showing. This photo was scandalous at this time.” Knowing some history of that time period I know how scandalous this phot is. Women we not allowed to show their petticoat and not like that with her legs crossed over the other one. I love knowing that women have always been somewhat rebellious about the way women have to act to cannot to things men can. Nordell also states, “She [Frances] was part of the new women movement, who left women had the right to control their own economic, social, and personal lives.” A comment left on Paul Melchers article, Why Is a Photojournalist’s Gender Relevant to Their Work? by twocutedogs saysing, “Is there a category for 37 year old male photographers with blonde hair? Completely agree with the article. One thing that I was (naively) surprised at was that some galleries want to feature women photographers over men. Who cares about gender? The photograph is what's important.” I agree with what this person has to say, the photograph is what is important.
Photo By Charlotte Brooks
Image Source: http://www.apag.us/charlotte-brooks/
Year Created: 1956
This Black and White photo shows the detail is the child that is grabbing on to her teacher. You see the teacher but the focus in more on the child. You do not see the teachers face, you do not see much of her in fact. The Black and white brings out the detail in the little girls hand, you can see how it is gently on her teacher and the girls face shows comfort.
I choose this photo because it is a great representation of what Charlotte Brooks was assigned to. She was assign to feminine rolls. But this photo also shows how teachers back then were like a second mother to children. They had to take care of them just like mothers would. Teachers care for their students and the students care for them back.
Image Source: https://smcavene.wordpress.com/page/2/
Year Created: 1957
Charlotte Brookes used Rule of Thirds. You can see the soldier on one side, the focus in on Minnijean Brown and on the other side you see white people following behind her, as one women yells at Brown. You also see in the background everyone is looking towards this direction as if they too are staring at Brown and the women yelling.
I choose this photo because I think it shows a lot of emotion. It's a powerful photo. It shows that Brown will not let people get to her. It should how dramatic the event was that there needed to be soldiers there. I also love how you see the women in the back yelling, yet she is not in focus.
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