The Complexities of Women’s Commercial, Sexual, and Social Empowerment: Seen in the Works of Gertrude Käsebier and Hannah Höch

Abstract

In 1839, Louis Daguerre introduced his camera obscura to the public, altering fine art and its discourse. Despite the claims that photography was an art medium for all, women photographers were undervalued and underrepresented, reflecting on their limited agency. Female photographers, Gertrude Käsebier and Hannah Höch surpassed these limitations and became reputable artists within the male-dominated field. Their photography reflects the contemporary social movements of their time and the complexities of gender issues. To better understand these artists, this research paper focuses on Käsebier’s Iron Tail, 1901, Höch’s Fremde Schönheit, 1929, and the social reforms and norms reflected in their work. In the middle to late nineteenth century, the United States developed its national market and created a culture of consumerism where women became significant participants. Concurrently, the Indian reform movement gained popularity among women, as seen in the Women's National Indian Association founded by Mary Bonney in the late 1870s. In 1919, the Weimar Republic of Germany declared gender equality in its new constitution, however, its ideals of the New Women continued to restrict fundamental rights. Additionally, the popularity of ethnographic museums, ethnography is the scientific study of human cultures, continued to rise. By analyzing the photographs through the lens of these cultural phenomena, they reveal a voyeuristic and colonial gaze. It can be suggested that Käsebier and Höch responded to the restrictive patriarchal norms, by seeking agency and empowerment through manipulating and appropriating their subject matter.