Renowned author and historian of photography Naomi Rosenblum, Ph.D., made a significant impact on the discipline. She was born on January 26, 1925, and died on February 19, 2021, leaving a lasting impact. However, Naomi Rosenblum age was 96 at the time of her death.
A Global History of Photography (1984) and A History of Women Photographers were her two most well-known works (1994).
These publications, translated into French, Japanese, Polish, and Chinese, are widely recognized as foundational works in photography.
Particularly, A Global History of Photography has emerged as a classic volume and a priceless resource for historians, critics, and photographers.
Many essays and articles about eminent photographers, including Adolphe Braun, Lewis Hine, and Paul Strand, were written by Rosenblum during her career.
Many honors and commendations were given to her in recognition of her contributions to photography.
Annual Infinity Awards in 1998
At the 14th Annual Infinity Awards in 1998, she and her husband, Walter Rosenblum, were presented with the International Center of Photography’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rosenblum’s study on female photographers was one of her most important contributions. She discovered that female photographers were frequently consigned to the back pages of periodicals while conducting research for A Global History of Photography.
She started compiling a list of female photographers, making small cards to store them for later use. She received a Getty Fellowship in 1990, which allowed her to spend three months studying the work of female photographers.
A History of Women Photographers, which was published as a result of this research, is now a crucial tool for comprehending the place of women in the development of photography.
An archive of Rosenblum’s work is kept at the University of Arizona in Tucson’s Center for Creative Photography.
Personal Life
Roseblum, a prominent person in her own right, married Walter Rosenblum, a renowned photographer, highly decorated WWII US Army Signal Corps cinematographer, and revered lecturer, creating a power marriage that made an enduring impression in each of their disciplines.
The Rosenblums were the proud parents of a talented family, including their daughter Nina Rosenblum, an accomplished documentary filmmaker, and Lisa Rosenblum, a former Public Service Commission commissioner, senior VP at Cablevision, and current vice chairman of Altice, US, where she continues to succeed.
America with Lewis Hine, an exhibition that celebrated Lewis Hine’s extraordinary work and was organized by Roseblum, her husband, Walter Rosenblum, and Barbara Millstein, debuted at the prestigious Brooklyn Museum in New York City in 1977.
This exhibition’s resounding success and widespread acclaim further cemented their position as trailblazers in the art world.
In 1980, the People’s Republic of China invited the Rosenblums to exhibit “Lewis Hine: A Retrospective of the Photographer” in Beijing.
As the first official loan from an American institution to China, the Rosenblums were pleased to have their artwork exhibited in such a large area.
