In 1869, Anne Wardrope Brigman along with her family of 8 lived on the then remote island of Honolulu, to which they moved on a Missionary quest. When Anne was 16 her family returned to the States where Anne married a sea captain, whom she accompanied on countless adventures across the seven seas. It is rumoured that it was on one of those long voyages that she fell and injured herself to the extent of having to remove one of her breasts. Gypsy slippers tired and worn, she eventually settled in San Francisco to bequeath her knowledge and skill to the ever expanding, local bohemian community. She kept company with people such as Jack London and naturalistic poet, Charles Keeler.
Anne was not one to merely bask in the presence of greatness so she pursued her own interest in photography. She joined the Photo-Secession movement, adopting their radical perception that photography must not be restricted to portray reality alone but should rather reflect the inner vision of the photographer. Through photography she defied social norms by placing naked women in wild scenic landscapes in possess reminiscent of pagan rituals.
Images by Baerer and A Polar Bear's Tale
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