Minnesota history: Women photographers in the 19th century
by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public RadioMarch 28, 2011
St. Paul, Minn. — Photography studios popped up all over the country in the late 19th century, and a surprising number of the photographers were women.
"You wouldn't know their names. No one would know their names. They're not the kind of people who really stood out as amazing artists. They were workaday women who made a living taking photographs," historian Annette Atkins said.
Atkins teaches at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict in Collegeville. She told MPR's Cathy Wurzer why photography was an attractive line of work for women during that era.
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