Esther Bubley was a pioneering American photographer whose work captured the essence of everyday life. Born in 1921 in Phillips, Wisconsin, she developed a passion for photojournalism early on. Her career spanned several decades, during which she worked for various government agencies and major magazines, leaving a lasting impact on the field of documentary photography.
Early Life and Education
Esther Bubley was the fourth of five children born to Russian Jewish immigrants,
Louis and Ida Bubley. Growing up in Wisconsin, she was inspired by the photo magazine Life, which debuted while she was a senior in high school. The images of the Great Depression, particularly those produced by the Farm Security Administration, fueled her interest in photojournalism. After high school, she attended Superior State Teachers College before enrolling in a photography program at the Minneapolis School of Art.
In 1941, Bubley moved to Washington, D.C., in search of work as a photographer. Although she initially struggled to find a job, she eventually secured a position at Vogue in New York. However, the work did not suit her, and she returned to Washington to work as a microfilmer for the National Archives and Records Administration.
Career Breakthroughs
Bubley's career took a significant turn in 1942 when she was hired by Roy Stryker as a darkroom assistant at the Office of War Information (OWI). Encouraged by Stryker and other senior photographers, she began taking pictures for the OWI historical section, documenting life on the home front during World War II. Her work on the bus system in the Midwest and South was particularly notable.
In 1943, Bubley followed Stryker to the Standard Oil Company, where she produced the acclaimed Bus Story series. This work earned her the Best Picture Sequence award in the Encyclopædia Britannica/University of Missouri School of Journalism contest in 1948. By 1947, she was working for the Children's Bureau, contributing thousands of images and appearing on over thirty covers of their journal, The Child.
Later Work and Legacy
Bubley's career continued to flourish as she took on various assignments. In 1948, she documented the social and economic impact of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. Her photo essay on mental illness for the Ladies' Home Journal won first place in a journalism contest in 1949. She also freelanced for Life magazine, contributing 40 photo stories, including two cover stories.
In the 1950s, Bubley expanded her portfolio to include medical themes and international assignments. She worked for UNICEF and the French government in Morocco and was the first woman to win first place in an international photography contest in 1954. Her work was featured in Edward Steichen's The Family of Man exhibition in 1955.
Esther Bubley's contributions to photography were recognized with numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1991. She passed away in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of capturing the human experience through her lens.
