Edith Sara Watson (1861 in East Windsor Hill, Connecticut – 1943 in Florida) was a photographer whose career spanned the 1890s through the 1930s.[1][2] She is best known for her photojournalistic images of everyday life, working people, and women, particularly in Canada.
Watson was the youngest of four children. Her family was involved in the newspaper business and also farmed tobacco. She and her sister, Amelia Watson, shared an interest in the art of watercolor painting, and at one point set out to become working artists by building their own studio. For about a decade, they traveled throughout New England, showing and selling their artwork. In the 1890s, when they went their separate ways, Watson started experimenting with the camera.[3] Watson also studied photography with her uncle, botanist Sereno Watson.[1]
Photography careeredit
Edith Watson
In 1896, Watson first traveled to Canada, and spent much of the next 35 years photographing rural people, often women, across the country.[1] She sold her photographs to several North American newspapers and magazines; sometimes, she bartered her photographs to obtain lodging or supplies. Through these efforts, she maintained her independence and supported herself both as an artist and as a traveler.[3]
For many years, she spent time during the winter in Bermuda, renting a cottage in St. George's, Bermuda and selling watercolors and hand-tinted photographs.[3] In 1911, in Bermuda, Watson met journalist Victoria "Queenie" Hayward, who eventually became her partner in work and in life.[4] The two women lived, worked, and traveled extensively together through isolated areas of Canada.[3]
With her camera, Watson documented the lives of people in Newfoundland, Labrador, the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, and then westward into Manitoba and British Columbia,[3] while Hayward wrote about them.[5] The two women stayed with First Nations people in Quebec and Ontario; Mennonites, Doukhobors, and other "New Canadians" in Manitoba; and Haida people in British Columbia.[3] In 1922, Watson and Hayward published Romantic Canada, an illustrated travelogue of their journeys across Canada.[2] In it, Hayward coined the phrase "the Canadian mosaic" to describe the region's multiculturalism;[3] the phrase and concept was picked up by subsequent thinkers and artists, including writer and cultural promoter John Murray Gibbon.
Photographs of Canadian womenedit
"A Canadian Gardener at the edge of a Cape Breton village"
"Along the Shore at Cape Breton Canada"
"Dried berries being packed away for winter luxuries"
"Weeding beans on a Dutch truck farm outside Winnipeg, Manitoba"
"Madonna of the Fields"
Photographs of Bermudaedit
Flower jars of carved coral, Bermuda
Referencesedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edith Watson.
^ abc"WATSON, Edith". Canadian Women Artists History Initiative. Concordia University. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^ ab"S. Watson (1861–1943), Photographer, Connecticut, US". Women from the Outside World. Maritime History Archive. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^ abcdefgRooney, Frances (2005). Extraordinary women explorers. Toronto: Second Story Press. pp. 29–37. ISBN9781896764986. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^Dagg, Anne Innis (2001). The feminine gaze a Canadian compendium of non-fiction women authors and their books, 1836–1945. Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 129. ISBN978-0889203556. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
External linksedit
Romantic Canada, by Victoria Hayward, illustrated with photographs by Edith S. Watson
Working Light: The Wandering Life of Photographer Edith S. Watson, by Frances Rooney
February 15, 2024
edith, watson, british, suffragist, police, officer, police, officer, edith, sara, watson, 1861, east, windsor, hill, connecticut, 1943, florida, photographer, whose, career, spanned, 1890s, through, 1930s, best, known, photojournalistic, images, everyday, lif. For the British suffragist and police officer see Edith Watson police officer Edith Sara Watson 1861 in East Windsor Hill Connecticut 1943 in Florida was a photographer whose career spanned the 1890s through the 1930s 1 2 She is best known for her photojournalistic images of everyday life working people and women particularly in Canada Edith Sara WatsonBorn 1861 11 05 November 5 1861 Contents 1 Early life 2 Photography career 3 Photographs of Canadian women 4 Photographs of Bermuda 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editWatson was the youngest of four children Her family was involved in the newspaper business and also farmed tobacco She and her sister Amelia Watson shared an interest in the art of watercolor painting and at one point set out to become working artists by building their own studio For about a decade they traveled throughout New England showing and selling their artwork In the 1890s when they went their separate ways Watson started experimenting with the camera 3 Watson also studied photography with her uncle botanist Sereno Watson 1 Photography career edit nbsp Edith WatsonIn 1896 Watson first traveled to Canada and spent much of the next 35 years photographing rural people often women across the country 1 She sold her photographs to several North American newspapers and magazines sometimes she bartered her photographs to obtain lodging or supplies Through these efforts she maintained her independence and supported herself both as an artist and as a traveler 3 For many years she spent time during the winter in Bermuda renting a cottage in St George s Bermuda and selling watercolors and hand tinted photographs 3 In 1911 in Bermuda Watson met journalist Victoria Queenie Hayward who eventually became her partner in work and in life 4 The two women lived worked and traveled extensively together through isolated areas of Canada 3 With her camera Watson documented the lives of people in Newfoundland Labrador the Maritimes Quebec Ontario and then westward into Manitoba and British Columbia 3 while Hayward wrote about them 5 The two women stayed with First Nations people in Quebec and Ontario Mennonites Doukhobors and other New Canadians in Manitoba and Haida people in British Columbia 3 In 1922 Watson and Hayward published Romantic Canada an illustrated travelogue of their journeys across Canada 2 In it Hayward coined the phrase the Canadian mosaic to describe the region s multiculturalism 3 the phrase and concept was picked up by subsequent thinkers and artists including writer and cultural promoter John Murray Gibbon Photographs of Canadian women edit nbsp A Canadian Gardener at the edge of a Cape Breton village nbsp Along the Shore at Cape Breton Canada nbsp Dried berries being packed away for winter luxuries nbsp Weeding beans on a Dutch truck farm outside Winnipeg Manitoba nbsp Madonna of the Fields Photographs of Bermuda edit nbsp Flower jars of carved coral BermudaReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edith Watson a b c WATSON Edith Canadian Women Artists History Initiative Concordia University Retrieved March 1 2015 a b S Watson 1861 1943 Photographer Connecticut US Women from the Outside World Maritime History Archive Retrieved March 1 2015 a b c d e f g Rooney Frances 2005 Extraordinary women explorers Toronto Second Story Press pp 29 37 ISBN 9781896764986 Retrieved March 1 2015 Rooney Frances December 31 1997 Photographer Edith Watson section15 ca Retrieved March 7 2015 Dagg Anne Innis 2001 The feminine gaze a Canadian compendium of non fiction women authors and their books 1836 1945 Waterloo Ont Wilfrid Laurier University Press p 129 ISBN 978 0889203556 Retrieved March 1 2015 External links editRomantic Canada by Victoria Hayward illustrated with photographs by Edith S Watson Working Light The Wandering Life of Photographer Edith S Watson by Frances Rooney Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edith Watson amp oldid 1200575399, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
