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Margaret Bourke-White Research Paper

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Margaret Bourke-White, world-renowned photographer, was a true icon to the world because of her unusual early life and education, her striking industrial photography career, powerful human-interest photography, and her heroic battle with a crippling disease in her final years. Margaret Bourke-White’s younger years took a unique and interesting route. On June 14, 1904 (Browne 38), Joseph and Minnie White (Goldberg 9) brought Margaret Bourke White (Welch 27) into the world in the Bronx, New York (Oden 2). Margaret's was meant to be birthed on June 13, but after discovering that Joseph and Minnie’s anniversary was the next day, the doctor prolonged Minnie’s labor (Goldberg 7). Margaret had two siblings (Oden 2), Ruth and Roger (Welch 8). At a …show more content…

In her childhood, Margaret brought home snakes as favored pets, and adored the thought of travel so much that she often ran away from home, though she did not make it far (Welch 10). When she was eight years old (Welch 9), Joseph took Margaret to one of his foundries, and Margaret fell in love with the machines (Goldberg 13). Margaret attended Columbia University in 1921 (Welch 16). She would go on to attend a sum of seven universities during her college career (Oden 2), studying herpetology, art, paleontology, swimming, aesthetic dancing, and zoology (Oden 2). However, shortly after beginning college, Margaret had no money for tuition (Welch 16) after Joseph passed away in January of 1922 (Welch 16). Margaret’s uncle offered to help pay for her tuition after Joseph’s death so she could go on with her studies (Welch 16). Margaret did not go into photography until after her father’s passing (Oden 2), but she decided to honor him by taking up his hobby (Welch 17). After taking up photography, Margaret still wanted to be a herpetologist instead of a photographer (Welch …show more content…

Margaret married Everett on June 13, 1924 (Welch 22), at the age of 19 (Browne 40). Unfortunately, their marriage was doomed from the beginning by Everett’s mother (Welch 22). Yet in December of 1924, Margaret found out she was with child (Goldberg 54). Due to the unstable condition of her and Everett’s marriage, Margaret intentionally caused herself to miscarry (Goldberg 54). In the time she stayed married to Everett, Margaret attended Purdue University, studying paleontology, and then moved to the Case Western Reserve School to major in education after moving to Cleveland, Ohio (Welch 23). Unhappy in her marriage to Everett (Welch 23), Margaret divorced Everett in 1928 (Goldberg 90), and she was relieved to be out of the marriage (Welch 23). In 1925 (Sandler 130), Margaret chose to complete her studies at Cornell University (Welch 23), graduating in 1927 (Sandler 130). The childhood and education of Margaret was intriguing, and it paved the way for her place in the industrial

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