Belle Johnson was an American photographer who lived from August 4, 1864 to July 19, 1945. He was active primarily in late 19th and early twentieth centuries. Johnson is described as “eccentric”, independent, and unorthodox. She was a charter member of Federation of Women Photographers and was inducted into Missouri Photojournalism Hall of fame. Her work, which included character studies, photographs of animals (especially cats), and still lifes, won numerous awards and frequently appeared in contemporary photography journals in the early 1900s.
Table of Contents
- 1 Life
- 1.1 What Underwear Does A Zebra Wear? Illustrated jokes for kids written by a KID
- 1.2 Belle
- 1.3 Send Judah First: The Erased Life of an Enslaved Soul
- 1.4 Strange Lady In Town
- 1.5 L'Invitation au voyage - Melodies from la belle epoque
- 1.6 Belle/Banana Pancakes
- 1.7 Bio-Oil Skincare Oil, Body Oil for Scars and Stretchmarks, Serum Hydrates Skin, Non-Greasy, Dermatologist Recommended, Non-Comedogenic, 6.7 Ounce, For All Skin Types, with Vitamin A, E
- 1.8 The Honest Company Truly Calming Lavender Bubble Bath Tear Free Kids Bubble Bath Naturally Derived Ingredients & Essential Oils Sulfate & Paraben Free Baby Bath 12 Fl Oz
- 1.9 The Viper (COBRA Securities Book 15)
- 1.10 BIackcream 3
- 1.11 More interesting reads:
Life
Johnson was born in Mendota, Illinois, to George C. Johnson, a successful farmer, and his wife, Hanna. She attended Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, from 1882 to 1884, graduating at the top of her class. Afterward, she worked as a teacher, but found it unfulfilling.
Johnson was spending summer in Monroe City with Mary Walker in 1890 when she answered a newspaper advertisement for an assistant in Rippey’s photography workshop. After just three weeks on the job, she bought the studio, with the understanding that the previous owner would stay on for a year to teach her the trade. He stayed for only six months, however, providing such scant instruction that Johnson later recalled that she had welcomed his departure. She learned most of her lessons from magazines about photography.
Johnson was a charter member of the Photographers’ Association of Missouri in 1894. At the group’s statewide convention that year, Johnson’s photographs won third place out of thirty-five entries, and missed first place by a narrow margin. In 1899, she won a gold medal at the Association’s state convention, and was elected the group’s treasurer. After a fire destroyed her studio that same year, she worked briefly in a photography studio established by local cigar maker, C.S. Robertshaw. By 1901 she was again advertising under her own name. In 1902, she opened an elaborate new studio on the floor above the jewelry store of her brother-in-law, R. Manning Walker.
Johnson took photographs of the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 for a Missouri State Commission booklet. She was among twenty-five photographers invited to exhibit at the annual convention of the Photographers Association of America at Niagara Falls in 1906. The following year, she exhibited at the PAA Dayton convention. Johnson was a member of the Missouri delegation at the PAA convention in Rochester in 1909, and was elected the first vice president of the PAA’s Federation of Women Photographers. Her work was displayed at the National Photographers’ Exhibition in Toronto in 1910, and received praise at the PAA’s Art Exhibit in 1913.
Johnson traveled frequently to keep up-to-date with the latest techniques in photography. In 1913, she attended the Eastman Photographic School in Illinois, and began advertising Kodak printing services that same year. She won third prize in the 1913 Kodak Advertising Competition.
In the early 1910s, Johnson made plans to establish a new studio in Pittsburg, Missouri, in partnership with Roy Moose, though these plans never materialized. By 1914, Johnson had won over 30 gold and silver medals in various photographic competitions. She was a member of the Missouri delegation at the PAA’s Milwaukee convention in 1920, and three of her photos were displayed at the PAA’S 1930 convention. Among her last published works were photographs of local soldiers preparing to depart to fight in World War II in the early 1940s. On July 19, 1945, she died in her studio. Monroe City businesses were closed that day.
More interesting reads:
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Last update 2021-08-06