What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women Comes to Getty
Engage, Touch, Read, See at the Getty Library
April 8 – May 11, 2025
Body Content
The Getty is pleased to present What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843–1999, an interactive pop-up reading room that provides a unique opportunity for visitors to engage with photobooks.
Open from April 8 through May 11, 2025, this exhibition highlights over 100 photobooks by women dating from 1843 to 1999 and a selection of contemporary photobooks by Southern California female photographers. Unlike traditional exhibitions, this hands-on experience encourages visitors to hold the books, read and flip through pages, immersing themselves in the creative narratives captured in each work. This unconventional project is part of an international series showcasing the works described in the 10×10 Photobooks catalog What They Saw, edited by Russet Lederman and Olga Yatskevich.
“This project is a testament to the depth and breadth of women’s contributions to the photobook medium,” says Mary Miller, director of the Getty Research Institute. “By revisiting these works, we’re not just celebrating their artistry—we’re ensuring that these voices remain an integral part of photographic history.”
Contemporary photobook artists based in Southern California include Uta Barth, Kirstin Bedford, Lauren Bon, Kaucyila Brooke, Jo Ann Callis, Elena Dorfman, Christina Fernandez, Rose-Lynn Fisher, Judy Fiskin, Jona Frank, Lauren Greenfield, Soo Kim, Mona Kuhn, Diana Markosian, Melodie McDaniel, Catherine Opie, Sheila Pinkel, Alex Prager, Randi Malkin Steinberger, and Deanna Templeton.
The Getty Library houses over 1.5 million books, periodicals, photographs, archives, and special collections, focusing on the history of art, architecture, and archaeology. The library is open to all and advances the understanding of the visual arts and their diverse histories.
This installation is curated by Isotta Poggi, associate curator at the Getty Research Institute, Marjorie Ornston, Photography Council member at J. Paul Getty Museum, and 10×10 Photobooks co-founders Russet Lederman and Olga Yatskevitch.
On April 11, 2025, a panel on Photobooks by Women, will feature artists Catherine Opie and Melodie McDaniel, with 10×10 Photobooks co-founder Russet Lederman and exhibition co-curator Isotta Poggi, to discuss the unique medium of the photobook, and its potential for collaboration, storytelling, self-expression, identity, and resilience.