Growing Up Female: A Personal Photo-Journal (1974) was a "landmark" [1] book of photography by Abigail Heyman (1942–2013). [2] [3] The book pioneered American feminism in photography by documenting stereotypical women's roles. [4] [5]
Heyman introduced the book, writing "this book is about women, and their lives as women, from one feminist’s point of view." [3] The book collected photographs of Heyman's life, "challeng[ing] assumptions about being a woman", and "documented the female experience from a feminist perspective." [1] The black and white images in the book include women doing beauty and domestic tasks such as women as mothers, preparing food, wearing curlers, and grocery shopping. [6] [7] It also contained images of young girls; and demonstrated how female stereotypes were reinforced for girls starting at a young age. [5] [7] According to The New York Times, "[i]n one of the book’s most arresting images, Ms. Heyman photographed herself undergoing an abortion." [2]
Andy Grundberg described the book as "test[ing] the line between reportage and personal expression." [2]
During the 1970s, the work sold more than 35,000 copies, and was a mainstay of women's bookstores and feminist literature displays, along with Our Bodies, Ourselves. [2]
Growing Up Female: A Personal Photo-Journal (1974) was a "landmark" [1] book of photography by Abigail Heyman (1942–2013). [2] [3] The book pioneered American feminism in photography by documenting stereotypical women's roles. [4] [5]
Heyman introduced the book, writing "this book is about women, and their lives as women, from one feminist’s point of view." [3] The book collected photographs of Heyman's life, "challeng[ing] assumptions about being a woman", and "documented the female experience from a feminist perspective." [1] The black and white images in the book include women doing beauty and domestic tasks such as women as mothers, preparing food, wearing curlers, and grocery shopping. [6] [7] It also contained images of young girls; and demonstrated how female stereotypes were reinforced for girls starting at a young age. [5] [7] According to The New York Times, "[i]n one of the book’s most arresting images, Ms. Heyman photographed herself undergoing an abortion." [2]
Andy Grundberg described the book as "test[ing] the line between reportage and personal expression." [2]
During the 1970s, the work sold more than 35,000 copies, and was a mainstay of women's bookstores and feminist literature displays, along with Our Bodies, Ourselves. [2]