1904 – 1971

Margaret Bourke-White

American photographer (1904-1971)

war photographerjournalistphotojournalistpicture editorartist

Born

1904-06-14, The Bronx

Died

1971-08-27

Birthplace state

New York

Biography

Margaret Bourke-White was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist. She was known as an architectural and commercial photographer for the first half of her career, representing corporate clients and highlighting the success of industrial capitalism with black and white images of steel factories and skyscrapers. In 1930, she became the first foreign photographer granted official access to document industrial sites in the Soviet Union during the first five-year plan. In 1933, she was commissioned to create the NBC photomural, a monumental photomural about radio for its rotunda at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, then considered the largest photomural in the world. The success of her corporate commissions led her to work at Fortune magazine in the 1930s. She took the photograph of the construction of Fort Peck Dam that became the cover of the first issue of Life magazine.

Occupation

Margaret Bourke-White is recorded as a war photographer, a journalist, a photojournalist, a picture editor, a artist, a writer and a photographer, born in New York (1904–1971).

Connections to New York

Margaret Bourke-White was born in The Bronx, New York in 1904. Explore other notable figures from New York, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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The Land

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Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

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Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.

Historical Maps

Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.

Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

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Spotlight

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Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

Timeline

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Frequently asked about Margaret Bourke-White

Who was Margaret Bourke-White?

Margaret Bourke-White was American photographer (1904-1971), born in New York (1904 – 1971).

When and where was Margaret Bourke-White born?

Margaret Bourke-White was born on 1904-06-14 in The Bronx.

When did Margaret Bourke-White die?

Margaret died on 1971-08-27.

What was Margaret Bourke-White known for?

Margaret Bourke-White is recorded as a war photographer, a journalist, a photojournalist, a picture editor, a artist, a writer and a photographer.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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