Clarence Hudson White was an American photographer, teacher, and one of the founders of the Photo-Secession movement. Having grown up in small towns in Ohio, his primary influences were his family and rural America’s social life. The World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 inspired him to take up photography.
His photos of America in the early 20th century reflected the spirit and sentimentality of the nation. As White’s image grew in popularity, other photographers sought him out to learn from him. Alfred Stieglitz became his friend and he contributed to the advancement of photography as a true art form. In 1906, he moved to New York City in order to be closer to Stieglitz and his circle and to further promote his own work. In 1914, he established the Clarence H. White School of Photography, the first educational institution in America to teach photography as an art form. White’s own photography declined as a result of his teaching duties, and he produced little new work during the last decade of his life. He died of a heart attack in 1925 while teaching students in Mexico City.
Below are some fabulous photos portraits of American ladies from the late 19th and early 20th century by Clarence Hudson.