Jessie Tarbox Beals

Why this artist matters now

Jessie Tarbox Beals was an American photographer and photojournalist active from the 1890s through the 1930s, among the first women to establish herself as a professional news photographer in a male-dominated medium. Working in portraiture and urban reportage, she documented street life and social conditions with direct observation, capturing the visual culture of turn-of-the-century American cities. Her archive constitutes an early and significant body of documentary photography from the period.

Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 1mo ago