Women Behind the Lens: The Photography of Emma D. Sewall, Josephine Ginn Banks, & Abbie F. Minott

Within the museum’s photography collection lies the work of three remarkable women—Emma D. Sewall (1836–1919), Josephine Ginn Banks (1863–1958), and Abbie F. Minott (1874–1944). Descendants of shipbuilding and seafaring families in the southern Midcoast and Penobscot Bay regions, these women captured striking images of Maine’s landscapes, industries, and communities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their photographs provide a unique opportunity to step back in time, and this December, the museum will open a new exhibition featuring their photography together for the first time

Sewall, Banks, and Minott each developed an interest in photography during the rise of the amateur photography movement. They were among the many women across America who picked up cameras, thanks to improvements in technology and advertisements in women’s magazines. The Eastman Kodak Company and other camera brands consistently touted the ease with which women could use their new and improved cameras, along with the latitude they provided women interested in documenting their daily lives and families. But for Emma, Josephine, and Abbie, photography was more than a fleeting hobby; photography provided them with freedom, creative outlets, opportunities to experiment, life-long friendships, and business endeavors. Of the three women, Emma D. Sewall of Bath is the most well-known. While the political careers of her husband, Arthur Sewall, and son, Harold Marsh Sewall, received much press, so did her photography. Considered one of the best amateur photographers in the country in the 1890s, Emma had great success exhibiting her work in the United States and abroad. Emma’s photography often featured a romanticized view of working-class individuals whose livelihoods were tied to the land and sea, creating a nostalgic view of Maine during a period of rapid industrial change.

Exhibiting the photography of these three women together provides a fascinating lens into the world of amateur photography. While each woman chose different subjects to highlight and mainly pursued photography as a hobby, they were all prominent documentarians of Maine’s coastal landscapes and folkways. The upcoming exhibition will finally pay proper tribute to Emma, Josephine, and Abbie’s photography, spotlighting their work as crucial historical records and a form of art.

With Generous Consideration

Carl Rapp

Wendy Jung with soggy dog designs

Barba + Wheelock Architecture, Preservation + Design

Details

December 9, 2022 – January 28, 2024

Crooker Gallery