“Photography helps people to see.” Throughout March, we’ll be profiling pioneering female photographers from gettyarchive as we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth. #BereniceAbbott was not only a hugely influential and varied image-maker, but her commitment to the work of Eugène Atget secured the earlier photographer’s legacy. Born in 1898, Abbott initially studied sculpture, a discipline later reflected in her photographic work. Living in Paris, the American student was hired by Man Ray precisely because of her lack of experience in the medium. In her own words, Abbott took to photography “like a duck to water”, her renown as a portraitist soon rivalling that of the great artist. Modernist, tentatively surreal, even in an apparently ‘straight’ photo, she was able to find a electric charge, refining it with her astute handling of the camera. Returning to the States in 1929, Abbott began using 8x10 film to document the changing streets of New York. Inspired by Atget’s Paris project, she set ...