Women Photojournalists- Trials and Triumphs


Charlotte Brooks


    Charlotte Brooks was a female photographer for LOOK magazine. According to the American Photography Archives Group (APCA) in the article Charlotte Brooks,  she "was a photojournalist who worked for LOOK magazine from 1951 until 1971 and was the only long-term woman staff photographer during LOOK’s 35 year history."  She is best know for being a "sociologist with a camera" and her important role in capturing the lives of Americans during the 50's and 60's.

    Brook had many triumphs through out her career. Charlotte Brooks by APCA explains Brooks as "[breaking] ground and [changing] the workplace for future women photojournalists."  She began as the one of three female members in the American Society for Magazine Photographers.  Eventually she became secretary, then vice-president while advocating for equal pay between male and female photographers.  Unfortunately, this is an issue that has not been entirely resolved. In the article 4 Women Sue Detroit in Free Press in Pay Discrimination Lawsuit by U.S. News, "Former and current staff members allege in Friday's complaint that the newspaper underpaid them because they're women."  While Brooks made tremendous progress by setting an example of the capabilities of women photojournalists, struggles still persist.  While Brooks was a voice for feminism, the Library of Congress in the article Charlotte Brooks (1918-2014) also mentions her coverage on stories about race, including Brown vs Board of Education.

    In his video, Women Photojournalists, Professor Nordell explains “women photojournalists…have encountered barriers unlike any that their male counterparts have endured.”  Charlotte Brooks is no exception.  Charlotte Brooks had her own identifying different qualities for a women in this time.  As a lesbian, Brooks stood out as being a proud individual as described in the article Charlotte Brooks (1918-2014).  In an interview with ASMP, Brooks identified the legal limits placed on female photographers.  In the interview titled Interview with ASMP Founder Charlotte Brooks, she talks about how it was illegal for women to cover any situation with the U.S navy.  She was also denied access to certain projects because women were not thought to be strong enough to handle them.  

    Unfortunately, workplace discrimination has been going on for many years and in many other fields, including photojournalism.  Natalie Keyssar speaks on this injustice in an interview with PDN Pulse titled PDN Video: Natalie Keyssar on Sexism in the Photo Industry.  Keyssar talks about "how women (and photographers of color) are denied the same opportunities as white men in the photo industry."  It is important note that this sexism is very broad.  History of the discriminations of women in the work force dates back to the 20th century when, as the article The history of women’s work and wages and how it has created success for us all by Janet Yellen states, "just 20 percent of all women were 'gainful workers.'"  Many women could not work outside the home, this rate rose to 50% by 1930's. The history of women’s work and wages and how it has created success for us all  continues to say that even though women were gaining abilities in the workforce, they were "still largely viewed as secondary earners whose husbands’ careers came first."  Charlotte Brooks became an example for females of all kinds in the work force as a lesbian succeeding without depending on a male or being secondary to anybody else.


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