Question-Was this great American photographer using SPEED GRAPHICS,any idea,if so,what they were.
The cameras you actually see her with in photographs,seem to be 'modified'with strange long lenses...unless it's my eyesight going.
Any Thoughts United States!
Thank You.

Well I' ve looked in my MBW biography book and I see her with an Agfa 5x7 in Russia, in the 30s and a K-20 aerial camera in a cloth airplane in the 40s. But I don't see her with a Graphic. And yet since she started in the late twenties I find it hard to believe she didn't use one. Just no proof

Greetings Les,and thank you for your reply-I think if we find a copy of the 1989 TV movie with the famous ladies name in the title,which starred Farrah Fawcett,maybe that will answer perhaps my question.Of course,I did have a video copy which I gave away-I could kick myself now.
I believe she went to war with a Graphic as depicted in the movie,but was'nt sure,as you rightly say,Margaret MUST have owned the reputed S.G.at some time!

She was played by Candice Bergen in Ghandi and, like you say, farrah fawcett in a movie of the week, but I wouldn't put too much faith in accuracy with these movies.
If I were directing, I'd put her with a Speed just because everybody thinks a Speed Graphic was used by a journalist at that time.

Thats true,Les.
..so thats why Im awaiting to find out the TRUTH if Margaret did handle the GRAPHIC in real life...at least we knew that WEEGEE had a S.G.the pictures of him prove it...
Four boxes of 5x4 and two boxes of cigars must have been the regular request at the local drug store..God bless him!

This'n' appears to be a Graflex SLR.

I've seen a picture of her holding an Anniversary Speed Graphic, taken during WWII, but can't find it online. It was in an issue of American Photographer that had an article about her. I don't remember the date, but I'll find it Tuesday (it's at school, which is closed Monday), and try to bring it home and scan it.

Thank you all,inc:Baker and Les.
...then it does seem Margaret DID use a SPEED GRAPHIC at some time in her life-good for her.
And talking about "Anniversary" models,we have a very famous British female artist,who was runner up in the recent Booker Prize,using that very camera for all of her exhibition work on show at leading galleries.
I'll tell you more on another post.

The camera is very much 'alive & well'and still to this day winning prizes.

The picture of her with a Speed Graphic is in the June 1986 issue of American Photographer (cover), but I couldn't find it anywhere online. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find pictures of a photographer with a Google search?

And that isn't a Speed Graphic, it's a K-20 aerial camera that uses 5" wide roll film.

If it's easier, I found a photo of Ansel Adams USING a Pre-Ann 4x5 with a Graflex back!

Quote:

On 2003-01-19 13:02, Les wrote: And that isn't a Speed Graphic, it's a K-20 aerial camera that uses 5" wide roll film.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough on that. The picture of her holding the Speed Graphic is inside (in the bottom right corner of a right-side page, across from the one of her on the eagle); I just provided the cover in case anybody saw it laying around.

Check out this page:

http://www.bluemoon.net/~mbwbio/

Click on the "More Photes" button on the left and scroll about a third of the way down. Check out the photo of MBW with the guy looking over her shoulder (swastika in background cartoon).

Model? Anyone? Anyone?

Thank you AWT..yes,I had already spotted this picture,but it seems to me,even by this picture,MARGARET had her cameras 'Modified'perhaps to suit her tastes.It would be nice to see a straight forward S.G.without the frills,and MBW handling it!.
It will surface no doubt...

Quote:

On 2003-01-20 06:17, AWT wrote: Check out the photo of MBW with the guy looking over her shoulder (swastika in background cartoon).

That's the one I was talking about. It's not very clear there, but in the magazine you can see the "SPEED GRAPHIC" on the lensboard lock. Looks like an Anniversary model.

Why two viewfinders on top? For different lenses, perhaps? The normal one on the right and a shorter one from a 2x3 on the left, for a WA lens?

From what I see, it's a 4x5 (no cut outs on the slider, and only one slider) it's post war (black italic letters on chrome background on the slider), it's got a Hugo Meyer rf, and judging from the position of the front standard, probably a 127 on it. There is some unidentified mechanism that looks like a shutter tripper but I can't wrap my brain around it.

I've taken a look at the Hollywood version of Margaret's life on video,which is MARGARET BOURKE-WHITE,and the Director gave her a RB GRAFLEX (in peacetime),ANNIVERSARY SPEED GRAPHIC 5x4 (in Wartime),a pre-war ROLLEI and possibly a LEICA!.
Of course we knew in real life she used other plate cameras throughout her career,and never stuck to just one brand.
But Im sure the GRAPHIC became her real workhorse...
...and she was the first to have a picture on the cover of LIFE magazine in 1936.
A great achievement...
She is sadly missed in the world of photography.