New Book Celebrates ‘Dangerous’ Women Photographers From the 19th Century to the Present

A new book highlights the extraordinary work of over 60 women photographers from the 19th century to the present day.

Women Photographers Are Dangerous, which will be published by ACC Art Books on September 5, brings together 100 historically significant photographs taken by women photographers, including work by Eve Arnold, Vivian Maier, and Anne Atkins.

The book looks at the work of more than 60 women whose contributions to photography have not always received widespread recognition. Their work spans subjects including war, politics and feminist activism, as well as art, science, journalism and advertising.

Many of the photographers featured in Women Photographers Are Dangerous worked in areas that required them to challenge established conventions and take risks. This book presents their work across different periods and fields, highlighting the varied roles women have played in the history of photography.

Women Photographers Are Dangerous reveals how women have been involved in photography since Louis Daguerre introduced the first camera to the world in 1838. Since then, women photographers have worked across virtually every area of the medium, but their contributions have often received less attention.

The collection includes Eve Arnold’s famous portraits of Marilyn Monroe, as well as photographs by Vivian Maier, whose work was discovered only after her death. It also features Anne Atkins, who is believed by some historians to have created the first-ever photographic album using cyanotypes to document dried algae without a camera.

Written and compiled by historians Laure Adler and Clara Bouveresse, Women Photographers Are Dangerous seeks to bring greater recognition to these photographers and their work.

Women Photographers Are Dangerous will be published by ACC Art Books on September 5.