Description
Presentation at Women in Photography conference. Conference outline:"Why are there so few women in the history of photography? Scholarly
contributions have highlighted the obstacles that hindered women’s success
in photography, as well as the ideological foundations of photographic history
that have kept them invisible within dominant narratives. Despite this, the role
of women in photography remains under-researched, particularly on those
practitioners active between the invention of the medium around 1839 and the
outbreak of World War II in 1939. This international conference aims to give
visibility to women in photography during the first century of its history by
uncovering their identities and stories through the lens of women’s history and
gender studies, revitalising forgotten or overlooked female figures, and revising
dominant historical accounts which centre prominent male photographers and
photographic businesses.
The conference draws on the methodological approach of decolonial feminist
studies, which acknowledges that individuals and social groups who have been
(and continue to be) marginalised face the greatest difficulties and obstacles
in bearing witness to their own exclusion. Recent contributions that merge
gender history, labor history, and feminist critical theory provide an additional
methodological framework. This dialogue has led to the rediscovery of previously
overlooked forms of women’s labor, both within and beyond the domestic sphere.
Following feminist economic perspectives, we understand domestic labor as a
central component of productive labor. As a result, the very concept of work has
been broadened, shifting the focus to the diverse forms, modalities, and qualities
of women’s labor."
| Period | 20 Nov 2025 → 21 Nov 2025 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Women in Photography: Practitioners, Labourers, Entrepreneurs, 1939-1939 |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Milan, ItalyShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |