"Women: A Time Capsule of the American Feminist Movement" at AIPAD

New York — At the 38th Annual PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW, presented by AIPAD, Throckmorton Fine Art will host a special exhibition by the widely published New York photographer Lynn Gilbert.

“Women: A Time Capsule of the American Feminist Landscape” is a limited-edition portfolio of iconic portraits of the women who transformed the American landscape in the second wave of feminism for women on the path to equality. 

Photographed by Lynn Gilbert in the years between 1976 and 1980 for Particular Passions: Talks with Women Who Shaped Our Times, the portfolio features twelve pioneering women of the 20th century from the arts and sciences, politics and law, mathematics and athletics, who blazed paths in traditionally male fields, opening doors for future generations of American women, and by example, women worldwide. 

Only twelve portfolios are being offered in this limited-edition. Each of the silver gelatin, selenium toned prints is 16 x 20, is signed by the artist, and mounted in a presentation box. Prints are by master printer John Delaney, who printed for Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, and Annie Leibovitz amongst others. Gilbert is contributing a portion of the sales to the ERA movement.

This new portfolio of twelve portraits comes from a body of work of forty-six women, which includes Bella Abzug, Julia Child, Joan Ganz Cooney, Betty Friedan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Grace Murray Hopper, Lucy Jarvis, Billie Jean King, Louise Nevelson, Diana Vreeland, Gloria Steinem and Barbara Walters.

When PARTICULAR PASSIONS was published in 1981, it was the first time a book had shed light on women who were actively engaged in changing perceptions of what women can be, what they can accomplish, and how they go about achieving their goals.  The portrait of Louise Nevelson became an instant icon.  

Throckmorton Fine Art has shown Lynn Gilbert’s photographs for many years.  Spencer Throckmorton says, “We are thrilled that women of all ages are now being heard in the workplace and on the home front. We hope this portfolio, a visual representation of the pioneers of the women’s movement, will be a call to action for women today so that the ERA (the Equal Rights Amendment) will finally be passed and women will be recognized as equal under the law and in our constitution. Coinciding with Women’s History Month in March, on the heels of the record-setting 2017 Women’s March, the #MeToo movement, and resurgence of efforts to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, we feel this show could not be more timely or valuable.”

Lynn Gilbert adds that, “These women were the most significant women in their disciplines when the photographs were taken. Culled at a time pre-internet, pre-feminism and before women were celebrated for their own value and accomplishments, these women opened doors for generations of women who followed and inspire today’s society to realize the full impact of their vision and efforts." 

Lynn Gilbert’s portraits are included in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C, The NY Historical Society, and the collections of Vassar and Yale.