A female focus

VOYA - Evelyn Butrico

A Female Focus, part of the Women Then-Women Now series, is as much a general history of photography as it is a history of women photographers and women's role in photography. Each chapter covers an aspect of the art and features women involved, starting with Constance Talbot, "probably the first known woman photographer," and including Gertrude Kasebier, a pioneer in the recognition of photos as works of art, and Cindy Sherman, modern advocate for how women are portrayed in the mass media. According to the author, the book "traces the still unfolding history of women photographers, from the pioneers, working with the most primitive of processes, to today's artists, who make exceptional use of technological improvements. It also covers the dramatic and significant world events that have been captured by women photographers." Perhaps the book's best feature is its biggest flaw. In an attempt to cover many important women, Horwitz gets slightly overwhelmed. She covers some women extensively and shortchanges others. Taking this into consideration and the author's background as a public relations consultant, not an expert on photography, the simple format still will be interesting for amateur photographers and a good research tool for young teens. Well indexed, with a good suggested reading list. Index. Photos. VOYA Codes: 4Q 2P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses, For the YA with a special interest in the subject, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8 and Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9).

School Library Journal

Gr 5-10-These two books look at professions in which the contributions of women have been largely ignored. Both authors do a fine job of identifying prominent women in their respective fields and discussing their accomplishments. Horwitz recounts the compromises and sacrifices these individuals made in order to succeed-failed marriages, families foregone, reputations ignored-and shows the network that they established to support one another. Leuzzi's book suffers from too wide a focus, starting with the role of women in medieval craft and weaving guilds. The fashion profession is defined here as almost any activity in the fiber trades, from spinning to modeling to designing, and includes many rather obscure activities in the garment industry, such as costume archivists and fashion-show organizers A final chapter on the preparation and hard work it takes to succeed in the business gives an unusual and helpful finale to a sometimes scattered offering. What both titles lack is adequate illustration. A Female Focus includes portraits of the featured women, but only an eight-page insert presents samples of their work. The black-and-white reproductions do little to enhance A Matter of Style, since color is so much a part of the final product. Despite their drawbacks, these well-documented books contain information that is not easily accessible elsewhere and should be considered as additional purchases.-Ruth K. MacDonald, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, MA