Kathryn Abbe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kathryn Abbe
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Abbe at her house in 2005
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Kathryn McLaughlin
September 22, 1919 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
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| Died | January 18, 2014 (aged 94) |
| Education | Photography degree, 1941 |
| Alma mater | Pratt Institute, New School for Social Research |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Employer | Vogue, freelance photography |
| Known for | Photographs in Vogue, Better Homes and Gardens, McCall's, Parents, and Good Housekeeping; a book, Twins on Twins, written with her twin sister |
| Spouse(s) | James Abbe Jr. (m. 1946) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Frances McLaughlin-Gill (twin sister) Tomie dePaola (cousin) |
| Awards | Prix de Paris, 1941 |
Kathryn Abbe (born September 22, 1919 – died January 18, 2014) was a talented American photographer. She was known for her amazing pictures published in famous magazines like Vogue and Better Homes and Gardens. Kathryn also wrote books, including one with her twin sister.
Early Life and Education
Kathryn Abbe was born Kathryn McLaughlin in 1919, in Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. She had a twin sister named Frances McLaughlin-Gill, who also became a photographer. They grew up together in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Both sisters were very smart in school. They were the top students in their graduating class at Lyman Hall High School. Kathryn was the valedictorian, meaning she had the highest grades. Her sister was the salutatorian, with the second-highest grades.
Kathryn went on to study at the Pratt Institute. There, she learned from artists like Walter Civardi and Reginald Marsh. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1941. She also studied at the New School for Social Research from 1939 to 1941.
In 1946, Kathryn married James Abbe Jr., who was also a photographer. His father, James Abbe, was a famous Hollywood photographer. Kathryn and James Jr. had three children. Kathryn and her sister were cousins with the well-known artist Tomie dePaola.
A Career in Photography
Kathryn Abbe started her photography career with a big win. In 1941, she won Vogue magazine's Prix de Paris photography award. This was a great honor for a young photographer.
By 1942, she was working for Vogue magazine. She learned a lot from photographer Toni Frissell there. In 1944, Kathryn decided to become a freelance photographer. This meant she worked for herself and took on different jobs. It was quite rare for women to be freelance photographers back then.
In the 1940s, Kathryn took many pictures of New England and Brooklyn. Soon, her photography assignments took her all over the world. She traveled to exciting cities like Paris, Havana, New York, Rome, and Milan.
Kathryn photographed many different subjects. She took pictures of fashion icons, famous entertainers, and children. She also captured everyday street scenes and portraits of artists. Her photos of models like Carmen Dell'Orefice and Lisa Fonssagrives are especially famous.
Her work appeared in over eighty books and magazines around the world. These included popular magazines like Better Homes and Gardens, McCall's, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and Paris Match. She was featured on more than twenty major magazine covers. This was a huge achievement for a female photographer at that time.
Kathryn Abbe also co-authored three books. These included Stars of the Twenties Observed by James Abbe (1974) and Twin Lives in Photography (2011). In 1980, she wrote Twins on Twins with her twin sister, Frances.
She gave many talks and appeared on television shows, like the Dick Cavett Show. In 2000, a documentary called Twin Lenses was made. It told the story of Kathryn Abbe and Frances McLaughlin-Gill's lives and photography careers.
