Florestine Perrault Collins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florestine Perrault Collins
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Self-portrait, early 1920s
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| Born |
Florestine Marguerite Perrault
1895 New Orleans
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| Died | 1988 |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Photography |
Florestine Perrault Collins (1895–1988) was an amazing American photographer from New Orleans. She was known for taking beautiful pictures of African-American people. Her photos showed their true pride, style, and dignity. This was very different from the unfair racial stereotypes often seen at the time.
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Life of a Photographer
Florestine was born in Louisiana in 1895. She was one of six children. She only went to public school until she was six years old. After that, she had to stop school to help her family earn money.
Starting Her Career
In 1909, when Florestine was 14, she began learning photography. She took pictures of many special moments. These included weddings, First Communions, and graduations. She also photographed soldiers who came home from war.
Early in her career, Florestine faced a big challenge. She sometimes had to pretend to be a white woman to get work helping other photographers. This was because of the unfair rules and attitudes of the time.
Her Own Studio
Eventually, Florestine opened her very own photography studio. She focused on taking pictures for African-American families. People loved her work, and she became very successful. She was good at taking photos and also at telling people about her business.
In the 1920 U.S. Census, 101 African-American women said they were photographers. Florestine was the only one listed in New Orleans!
She advertised her studio in newspapers. She wrote about how special and emotional a good photograph could be. Florestine even put her own picture in the ads. She thought customers might feel a female photographer would be better at taking pictures of babies and children.
Florestine's first husband, Eilert Bertrand, didn't think women should have careers. He tried to stop her from being out in public for her work. Florestine Perrault Collins passed away in 1988.
Her Lasting Impact
Florestine Collins' work was very important. It showed how complicated life was for women, especially Black women, trying to follow their dreams.
Challenging Stereotypes
A famous writer named bell hooks once said that the fight for Black freedom in the United States was also a fight over images. Florestine's photographs are a great example of this. She took pictures of Black women and children in their homes. By doing this, she helped to change the unfair ideas people had about Black women at that time. Her photos showed them as strong, loving, and important.
Featured Work
Florestine Collins was featured in a documentary film in 2014. It was called Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People.
Her photographs have also been shown in art exhibitions in New Orleans. These shows happened in the late 1900s and early 2000s.
In 2013, a book was written about her. It's called Picturing Black New Orleans: A Creole Photographer’s View of the Early Twentieth Century, by Arthé A. Anthony.
