Gertrude Käsebier (1852-1934) established herself in the 1890s as one of the first professional women photographers. Above is her 1901 study of the 16-year-old Evelyn Nesbit, regarded as the most sensational beauty of her day – at the height of the Gibson Girl craze – who had famous men literally murdering each other for her favors. Käsebier specialized in portraits, but most of her subjects led more tranquil lives than Evelyn Nesbit.
"I earnestly advise women of artistic tastes to train for the unworked field of modern photography. It seems to be especially adapted to them, and the few who have entered it are meeting a gratifying and profitable success."
– quoted in Gertrude Käsebier : The Photographer and Her Photographs by Barbara L. Michaels (New York : Abrams, 1992)