CONFERENCE 

A free, one-day online conference hosted by the Bodleian Library, and convened by Taous Dahmani (Panthéon-Sorbonne/ Maison Française d'Oxford)

‘Let Us Now Praise Famous Women’ explored the critical work of women writing about, collecting, and curating photography by women. The focus was on British contributions to this intellectual and artistic process, from meticulous research into early women photographic pioneers to the influence of the feminist movement on our understanding of women photographers’ careers and legacies.

Key questions include how women’s voices are heard in the history and criticism of photography; the role of museums in shaping the legacies of women photographers; and the possibilities for emerging photographers to find themselves in a supportive network of ideas and practice.

We addressed these topics in a series of focussed panels themed around the individual experiences of outstanding women photographers, insights from contemporary curatorial practice, and the academic literature on women’s writings about photography. Our dynamic selection of speakers were scholars and practitioners from the arts, museums, academia, and publishing.

Speakers: Val Williams, Erika Lederman, Jessica Sutcliffe, Patrizia Di Bello, Deborah Cherry, Fiona Rogers, Max Houghton and Anna Fox.