Introduction
During the course of Clio's research for the second film of our America Originals documentary film series, Catching the Shadow: America’s First Women Photographers, we were fortunate to have come in contact with the extraordinary work of Peter Palmquist and two organizations he founded: the Women In Photography Archive, and The WIP International Archive.
Peter was extremely helpful in the early phases of our research, supportive our film project and this online exhibit. Peter and the WIP Archive provided us with the images and biographical essays of these early California photographers: Abigail E. Cordoza, Emma Olive O’Connor, Nellie Tichnor McGraw, and Elizabeth Withington, and the 19th Century documents written by or about pioneering women photographers.
This gallery is Clio’s expression of gratitude for Peter’s enthusiastic support and as well as a sense of loss heightened by the tragic nature of his death. For richer sense how broadly our loss is shared and for Peter’s contribution to the history of photography see: http://www.carlmautz.com/palmquist.html.