By Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Woods Run Settlement House, June 1950
Esther Bubley (1921–1988) was a preeminent freelance photographer during the "golden age" of American photojournalism. Bubley's career began briefly at Vogue in 1941 before accepting a dark room assistant position at the Office of War Information (OWI) directed by Roy Stryker. Stryker was an outstanding mentor and teacher; he encouraged Bubley’s talent and included her in many of his documentation projects for OWI, Standard Oil Company and the Pittsburgh Photographic Library.
Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Interested in documenting the revitalization of a post-WWII Pittsburgh, the Allegheny Conference created the Pittsburgh Photographic Library in 1950 with the goal of showing the world a modern city successfully undergoing an urban renaissance.
Streets of Pittsburgh
With the direction of Stryker and a team of diverse photographers, including Esther Bubley, the PPL sought to create photographic stories of life, "rebirth, and redevelopment" in early-1950s Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Bubley was given assignments for the Pittsburgh Photographic Library including documenting the neighborhoods of the Hill District, Woods Run, Downtown, and Lawrenceville.
St. Mary's Cemetery, Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
St. Mary's Cemetery entrance in 1950
Tap to explore
St. Mary's Cemetery entrance today
Soho Community House, Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
After suggesting topics he wanted documented, Stryker gave his photographers the freedom to pursue their individual approaches to their subjects. Stryker was adamant that his staff understand their subjects and their context before going out on an assignment.
Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Bubley was assigned to document the evolving nature of Pittsburgh from industrial to urban including the bustling Downtown.
Irene Kaufmann Settlement House
Esther Bubley captured the spirit of the Irene Kauffman Settlement House. The settlement served all who lived in the Hill District neighborhood with activities and services including extensive healthcare programs, Americanization and enrichment classes, art, music, and sports.
Irene Kaufmann Settlement, Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Through this documentation project, Bubley and her colleagues sought to document not only the picturesque but also the humble and disrupted communities of urban Pittsburgh.
Irene Kaufmann Settlement, Pittsburgh (June 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Roy Stryker considered Bubley's subjects, saying they “didn’t realize she was there, she wasn’t invading them, she was sort of floating around. And all of the sudden they saw themselves, not unpleasantly, yet with her discernment… and they said ‘My God, its interesting'."
The settlement had space and activities for children, including a pool and swimming lessons.
Irene Kaufmann Settlement, Pittsburgh (June 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
This project exemplified her master work with natural lighting and a small, flexible 35mm camera along with her ability to create spontaneous, intimate moments with her subjects.
A People's Photographer
Bubley was not drawn to the industrial complex spawned by the war, preferring instead to focus on average Americans. "Put me down with people, and it's just overwhelming," Bubley said of her focus on the human dimension.
Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Jean Bubley, Esther's niece, notes that she was a "people photographer." Bubley was interested in documenting the daily life of the American people.
She had the uncanny ability to achieve intimacy with her subjects.
Neighborhood of Woods Run Settlement House, Pittsburgh (June 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Bubley spent most of her professional career traveling throughout the world, photographing stories for magazines such as LIFE and the Ladies' Home Journal and for prestigious corporate clients that included Pepsi-Cola and Pan American World Airways.
Jewish Home for the Aged, Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Though she spent most of her time with corporate clients, author Benjamin Ivry believed that Bubley, “in her quiet way, was an empathetic witness to silent sufferings.”
"I found the human race. It is like finding one's family at last." –Esther Bubley
Soho Community House, Pittsburgh (July 1950) by Bubley, EstherCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Bubley’s prints have been acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Library of Congress, the National Portrait Gallery and the George Eastman House, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.
Lasting from 1950–1954, the Pittsburgh Photographic Library was one of the largest photographic documentation ventures ever undertaken in America at the time. The resulting collection contains over 18,000 black-and-white negatives rich with the history of Pittsburgh and is an ongoing resource to local and international communities.
To learn more about Esther Bubley and her work, check out Esther Bubley: On Assignment
To learn more about the Pittsburgh Photographic Library, check out Witness to the Fifties: the Pittsburgh Photographic Library, 1950-1953
