By presenting a diverse geographic and ethnic selection, this anthology interprets the concept of the photobook in the broadest sense possible. From classic bound books and portfolios, to unpublished works, zines, and scrapbooks, it documents well-known publications, such as Germaine Krull’s ‘Métal’ (1928) and ‘Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph’ (1972), and relatively unknown items, like Eslanda Cardozo Goode Robeson’s ‘African Journey’ (1945) and Eiko Yamazawa’s ‘Far and Near’ (1962). Moreover, it addresses glaring gaps and omissions, especially the lack of access, support, and funding for photobooks by non-Western women and women of colour.

Contributing Essayists: Mariama Attah, Jörg Colberg, Elizabeth Cronin, Deirdre Donohue, Anthony Hamber, Christine Hult- Lewis, Michiko Kasahara, Paula V. Kupfer, Jeffrey Ladd, Carole Naggar and Tony White.

Contributing Book Description Researchers-Writers: Rose Bishop, María Beatriz H. Carrión, Jesse Dritz, Taylor Fisch, Lauren Graves, Anna Jacobson, Paula V. Kupfer, Ashley McNelis, Katherine Mitchell, Frankie Moutafis, Carole Naggar, Caroline M. Riley and Kelsey Sucena.

What They Saw: Historical Photobooks by Women, 1843–1999 is a follow-up project to 10×10 Photobooks’ How We See: Photobooks by Women, which showcased contemporary photobooks by women (2000-2018) and began in 2018 at the New York Public Library with a tour to five other venues.

What They Saw: Historical Photobooks By Women, 1843-1999
Ed. Russet Lederman and Olga Yatskevich

10×10 Photobooks, 2021
ISBN 9780578932132

240 x 300 mm, 352pp: English

Softbound with dust jacket, Smith sewn binding

*Shortlisted for the Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation Catalogue of the Year Award 2021